A pub crawl allows participants to mingle with a large group of friends and peers, sip on refreshing beverages, and relax for a day.
It cannot get much better than that, right?
It can when proceeds of the event go towards a worthy cause that benefits local families and the community as a whole.
The Olympia Pub Crawl, entering its fourth year, is exactly such an event, as proceeds go towards The Rally Foundation, a non-profit organization started in 2005 that raises funds and awareness for childhood cancer research across the country.
On Saturday, Aug. 4, the event will travel through bars and establishments in downtown Olympia, with various entertainment acts provided along the way.
After a small participation size in the first year of the event, the Pub Crawl has seen a steady increase over the last few years, an exciting prospect for those who have been involved since the beginning.
“It has grown incredibly, especially in the past couple years,” said Molly Sjoboen, the event chair, sponsorship chair and kickoff event chair for the Olympia Pub Crawl. “The first two years we had 20-30 people and started raising money for leukemia-lymphoma research. Grew a little bit, to about 40 people the second year. Last year, 160 crawlers and we raised $6000. This year we are expecting 200-250 people and have already raised $ 15,000. It’s really cool to watch the event grow.”
Sjoboen credits the support from the Olympia community and local businesses for the event’s rise in participation.
“There have been so many people and businesses that have been instrumental towards the success of the pub crawl,” Sjoboen said. “A big part of the success is due to help from the community, and since we are crawling in downtown businesses, they’re enthusiastic to help and give back.”
Sjoboen, a member of the Rally Northwest running group for the last three years, says she and the event organizers came up with the idea after talking with a friend from the Portland, Ore., area.
“We were thinking of creative ways to raise money, and I started talking to friends from Portland who said they had just participated in a Pub Crawl down in Oregon,” Sjoboen said. “That event wasn’t for charity, just for fun, but it got us all thinking. We thought it would be a fun event, but that we could use it as a charitable event to raise awareness. The rest just went from there.”
While the Olympia Pub Crawl has seen success and an increase in participation each year, event organizers are continuously coming up with new ideas.
“This year’s crawl will be the first with musical entertainment provided,” Sjoboen said. “We will have six local bands performing throughout the day at the various venues we stop at. And those are the type of ideas we will be looking to add in the future. It’s a fun event, but we don’t settle or want it to be the same thing every year. We want to make it very appealing on a year to year basis and new ideas will help with that.”
Sjoboen believes it’s important for the Pub Crawl to include as many local businesses as possible.
“Obviously, we have a fundraiser and a charity to focus on, but it’s important to highlight the businesses we work with and downtown Olympia in general,” Sjoboen said. “This community is so tight-knit and supportive and we want to give back as much as we’ve been given. I’m so thankful for the people who have supported us and the momentum that we have generated.”
Next year, the Olympia Pub Crawl will work with Friends of Mia, a local non-profit group that helps generate funds for families with a child undergoing cancer treatment.
“There are so many people out there affected by (cancer) and there is a need to raise awareness for childhood cancer, due to the fact that research is underfunded,” Sjoboen said. “Events like ours provide a good time and smiles, but they also have a purpose as well, and that is something we are very proud of.”
For more information and to register for the Olympia Pub Crawl, visit www.olympiapubcrawl.com or visit the event’s Facebook Page.
Participating Bars:
- 1230 Room – kick-off party begins at 2:00 pm with live music from “The Spread Eagles”
- The Brotherhood
- Hannah’s Bar
- Spar
- Cascadia
- McCoy’s
- Jakes
- Charlie’s – a four band line-up is playing from 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm
- Big Whiskey Saloon – last call party begins at 9:00 pm
