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Thursday, September 27, 2001
By Bob Batz Jr., Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Support for the terrorism attack relief effort is taking many different forms, from donations from cinema receipts to a benefit pro wrestling match. Soon you'll be able to help by drinking beer, thanks to a joint effort of brewpubs and craft breweries around the state and beyond called "Unity Night."
On Oct. 11, participating establishments will donate a portion of the proceeds from beer sales to the September 11 Fund, which is being administered by United Way and The New York Community Trust to meet the needs of victims, their families, and communities affected by Sept. 11 events.
The idea of tapping craft brewers and their customers started at the Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville. President Sean Casey says that after other local brewpubs jumped on board, they presented it to all the members of the Pennsylvania Brewers Guild, which is led by Church brewmaster Bryan Pearson. The guild, which also is donating more than $2,000 raised at its recent benefit golf outing, is co-sponsoring Unity Night with the Brewing News, publisher of five regional beer newspapers that also is publicizing the event on its Web site.
So far, participants include the Church, Foundry Ale Works in the Strip District, Penn Brewery on the North Side, Valhalla in the Strip, and Red Star Brewery and Grille in Greensburg, plus 10 other brewers in the state, as well as West Virginia Brewing in Morgantown.
Some breweries, including Troeg's Brewing Co. in Harrisburg and Yards in Philadelphia, are donating kegs of beer to brewpubs. Brewpubs are donating so much per beer sold -- 50 cents to a $1 -- or 50 percent to 100 percent of beer sales that night. Church Brew Works also is donating sales of soft drinks and coffee and suggesting others do that, too, so that children and others can participate.
Casey and other organizers are aiming to make this a nationwide event by working with other groups, such as the Boulder, Colo.-based Association of Brewers, which is presenting the idea to attendees at the Great American Beer Festival that opens today in Denver.
The Internet site Pubcrawler.com also is spreading the word to get more brewers to participate. As Casey says in a letter posted there, "We think this is a good way for our industry to come together across the country and let our employees and customers connect with the people that have suffered the last week."
For more information, call the Church Brew Works at 412-688-8200 or visit the Web site: www.brewingnews.com/unitynight/.