There will be over 20 breweries attending this year’s event.
Each year, the Relief Engine Company raises funds to support its community initiatives and to help maintain its overall operations. This year, the 3rd Annual Beerfest, the biggest fundraising event of the year, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Moorestown Community House located at 16 E. Main St.
At the event, which will not permit pets, children or those under the age of 21, there will be a variety of breweries attending, including Backward Flag Brewing Co., Cape May Brewing Company, Beach Haus Brewery, Flying Dog, Yards Brewing Company, Smuttynose Brewing Company, Victory Brewing Company, Troegs Independent Brewing and more.
“The public response in the past has been tremendous. Out of those that have found the time to come out and join us, I haven’t had any bad reviews,” David Mann, the president of Relief Engine Company, said. “There are always suggestions on how to tweak it and get it better, and we’ve been open to that.”
Back by popular request, live music will also be on display featuring oompah band, Polkadelphia. The band will entertain guests with both traditional tunes as well as modern cover songs by artists such as Radiohead and the Beatles.
A local favorite, Maurizio’s Bistro, will be catering the event and providing food throughout the evening. After a few brews, attendees can grab some hors d’oevre from a menu Maurizios puts together for the event.
Proceeds from this event will be used by the departments to benefit the community in a number of ways. First, they will go toward community initiatives such as the recent refurbishing and maintaining one of Moorestown’s first fire engines, a 1922 Aarons Fox. Secondly, the proceeds will be used to give back to the community through donations, such as the treat handouts for children during the Christmas Parade down Main Street, and through scholarships for high school volunteers who will be attending college.
“It’s our community. We all live here and have many of the same goals and concerns,” Mann said. “This is why, as part of the community, we like to focus on outreach.”
A third important allocation of these funds is to continue to support the volunteers who work with the departments to help protect the community. For all of their hard work and dedication, these funds enable the departments to reward these servicemembers with much needed recognition and the occasional pizza after a long day on the fire grounds.
“Moorestown is a town of 20,000 people, and we alone do about 600 to 700 fire calls a year,” Mann said.
By purchasing a ticket and coming to the event, community members are able to show their support for the local fire departments, express their gratitude and help ensure these lifesaving services can remain in full operation. Tickets for the event are $55 and can be purchased online at https://reliefbeerfest.ticketleap.com/relief-beerfest-3/dates/Nov-12-2016_at_0530PM.
This is one of the three fundraising events the Relief Engine Company puts together every year. The two others are the Easter Flower Sale during Easter weekend, and the Build a Scarecrow Station during Autumn in Moorestown.
For more information on this year’s Beerfest, contact the chairman of the event, Kevin Middleton, at beerfest.312@gmail.com.
