Kelly Wilson, director of marketing for CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, this month presented a $150,000 check of proceeds from the 17th Annual Southern Brewers Festival, hosted by Big River Grille & Brewing Works, to Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block. The one-day event held last August at Ross’ Landing in downtown Chattanooga featured over 75 craft-brewed premium ales and lagers and a variety of food vendors. The festival’s featured entertainers included the Grammy Award Winning band Los Lobos headlining the event, along with The New Familiars, Anders Osborne and Railroad Earth.
“This past year’s event was the largest ever with over 32 regional brewers and over 12,000 people in attendance,” said Wilson. “We are thrilled to present this check to Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block, as this will help them continue their mission of educating children and giving them skills to stay safe and healthy. Big River Grille takes pride in philanthropic efforts within our communities and is privileged to give back by helping provide unique educational opportunities for children and adults within our region. We sincerely believe in the work that Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block does in our region and we are proud to be able to help make a difference in the lives of others.”
Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block has been the recipient of the proceeds from the Southern Brewers Festival for the past six consecutive years. During the span of this partnership, Big River Grille & Brewing Works has presented over $700,000 to the organization.
“It continues to be a pleasure to work with the team from Big River Grille & Brewing Works on the Southern Brewers Festival,” said Kelly Williams, Executive Director of Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block. “The annual proceeds from each festival mark the largest single donation Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block receives each year. The positive impact this donation has on our area is priceless.”
According to Williams, the contributions from the Southern Brewers Festivals have allowed Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block to make tremendous accomplishments including: Increase educational programming from 27 licensed programs to 42 of the 44 national programs; purchase new puppets and props at a cost of over $8,000; increase the number of programs performed free of charge at local schools to over 400 yearly; increase the number of children and adults served from 35,000 children and adults served yearly to 54,000 served; provide additional resource materials for educators and parents focused on healthy lifestyle choices; host six free community events, Pinwheels for Prevention, which focuses on child abuse awareness; and hold five regional puppet Conferences, providing hands on training for Kids on the Block troupes around the country. All Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block puppeteer/educators are nationally certified puppeteers in the art of Bunraku puppetry.
Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block features life size puppets designed to teach children and adults about social concerns and differences in a non-threatening manner, giving them skills to stay safe and healthy. The programs are free of charge to schools in 14 counties in Tennessee and North Georgia thanks to funding from United Way, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Lyndhurst Foundation Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association, Tennessee Donor Services, BASF, Sertoma Club of Chattanooga, Kiwanis Club of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Civitan Club, Ronald McDonald House Charities, individual donors and fundraising events such as Southern Brewers Festival.
For more information, visit www.southernbrewersfestival.com, www.kidsontheblock.net or call the Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block office at 423-757-5259 or CraftWorks Restaurant & Breweries at 423-424-2000.