Beer Mile fundraiser for new day care
Iron Prairie Strength Lab and Skout Brewing organize community fundraiser
August 19, 2024, 11:00 am
Ashley Bochek
Iron Prairie Strength Lab and Skout Brewing Co. are collaborating to host Moosomin's first ever Beer Mile fundraiser. The event will be on September 7 and all the proceeds will go toward the new Play Fair Daycare building.
Jill Dowling of Iron Prairie Strength Lab explains the idea behind the Beer Mile.
"We set out a course for one mile and every quarter-mile there will be stations where you can either chug a beer or drink something carbonated, that is part of the challenge. You can either walk or run the mile. You can do it individually or as a team of two or four. We're trying to encourage the teams to have some kind of costume to make it even more fun that way too. It's going to be fun!
"There will be four stations along the route, but technically the first two will be at the gym with the way the course is set.
"The route starts at the gym, then North Front Street up that way, up Park then back to the gym and then down Park by Rocky Mountain to the brewery."
Dowling says she wanted to host something fun for the community.
"I was trying to look for a way that we can get involved in the community and do something fun that could potentially be a good fundraiser to support the community, and then I came across this. We also like the brewery and thought we should see if they would be interested in it."
Grandguillot of Skout Brewing says they are excited to be part of this fundraiser. "Jill approached us about collaborating and we thought it was a great idea. I don't know if I could run a mile, but I will give it a go. I can certainly drink beer."
Community is excited
Dowling says she has heard positive feedback from the community for the run.
"People are excited for it. They say it is going to be fun. I've heard people say, 'That is my kind of run!' I have heard nothing but excitement for it so far."
Grandguillot adds, "I have heard similar to that. Some who I have talked to aren't too sure of what it is at first, and then once you explain it they think it sounds like fun and want to get in on it."
Dowling says they have seen lots of interest in registering for the run so far. "There has been quite a bit of interest. I don't know where we are for sign-ups so far. If we could get 50 people that would be great. If we get more than that then that would be even better."
Grandguillot says people can register for the run up until the day of the event. "There are still quite a few weeks until the run and you can sign up right up until the day of—September 7. It is the day care that is handling the sign-ups."
Fundraiser for new day care
Grandguillot explains where the money raised will be going toward.
"The sign-up fee is $75 per person or per team—you get a bit of a deal. The proceeds go toward the run. For example, we'll supply the beer at cost. Whatever the beer would sell for all the proceeds go toward the run. All of the excess registration fee once we cover our expenses go toward the run, so we have been working to try and secure some sponsorship around town, but also assuming we get more donations that is just more money from the registration fee that will go toward the day care."
Dowling adds, "We want as much as possible to go toward the new day care. We don't have a target set to reach since it is our first time planning something like this."
Dowling says they hope they have a good turnout so the Beer Mile could be an annual fundraiser for the community.
"We're hoping that this will be an annual thing that helps support a different cause every year for the community. The first one will give us a better idea of what our target should be for next year."
Beer Mile new to Moosomin
Dowling says the Beer Mile is a first in Moosomin. "This is pretty new for most people in town. I don't think there has been anything like it. We're coming up on our one year being open, so as far as I know there hasn't been anything like this in town."
Grandguillot adds, "The brewery has only been open since April so we haven't collaborated with anything like this before."
Everyone welcome
Dowling says she is encouraging everyone from the community to participate in the Beer Mile.
"I am trying to encourage anyone and everyone, especially the ones who maybe don't like the running part I want them to know they can also walk it. Anyone could do this, really."
Grandguillot adds he will be pushing his child in a stroller during the mile, "We call it a run, but you can run or walk it. I am going to run it with my baby in a stroller. It is going to be fun."
Skout Brewing will be open after the run. "The brewery will be open to all the runners," Grandguillot said. "All the beer or snacks purchased at the brewery at the end of the run will still go toward the day care."
Excited for new day care
Dowling says she wants to fundraise for the new day care to help young families.
"I was on the waitlist for the entire two years. My daughter just got into full-time day care last month. Before that, she was at work with me. I got part-time a few months ago, but it has been really important to me to be able to do my job and it will be nice once there are more spots available for other families as well."
"It was the same thing for us." Grand-guillot said. "We started our business and at the same time we started our family. We are still on the waitlist for the day care, so when the announcement came out that there were going to be more spots opening up, we thought it was great and whatever we could do to help speed this along we want to help and contribute."
Dowling adds, "There are a lot of people that I know who are on the waitlist and can't go back to work until they get a spot so I think there are a lot of people that this is strongly important for, not just us."
Dowling says the day care committee is very excited to be involved.
"The day care is very excited about it. There are lots of fundraisers that people are really used to, like a barbecue fundraiser is super common. I think people are just excited to try something different. We'll have to see how it goes."
Working together
Dowling says she has enjoyed organizing the event with other local business owners.
"I am excited. I think it will be a really fun day and it is coming up fast. Some parts of organizing it the first time feel a little daunting, but I think next year it will feel a little smoother."
"This year we have just been feeling it out as we go and there are so many things to think about, but it has been fun to plan it and I am looking forward to the event," Grandguillot said. "I hope there is a good turnout, and that everyone who participates has fun, and hopefully we have good weather."
Dowling says it has been fun coming up with ideas together for the Beer Mile.
"It is really cool seeing what we can come up with together. For example, the free t-shirts—there is a limited number of free t-shirts up to the 16th, there is an early-bird registration—and just trying to design a logo for that, and I started one and then Gina, Aaron's wife, tweaked it and we came up with something really cool between the two of us."
Grandguillot adds, "We have all worked together to organize the event and it is going to be a better event because of that."
"I love fitness and I have always been excited about fitness and this is like a way for me to get other people excited about an aspect of fitness," Dowling says. "I am just excited to see the community spirit that day and see people come out."
Grandguillot says he is looking forward to seeing the community support the event.
"Moosomin is very good for showing up for events and having fun when the community does it. I always look forward to that whenever I am out in town at whatever event the town is hosting so I am looking forward to that same spirit when we have the event."
