The Relief Engine Company will host the township’s only beer festival on Nov. 19.
Now in its eighth year, Relief Beerfest 8 will have food, unlimited beer samples from more than 25 breweries and live music. Uber rides will also be provided for guests who will be given a code in advance for the ride-sharing app.
“We need to raise funds for a number of things that we do that are not ‘putting out fire’- related,” said Bruce Kratz, a company member, said of the event. “We run a couple of different events that raise money and we also are always looking for opportunities to get closer to the community that we serve, and so this is the perfect opportunity.”
Beerfest proceeds will help the company retain members, support the Thomas Poole Scholarship for high-school seniors and restore and maintain two antique firetrucks: the 1922 Ahren’s Fox and the 1952 Mack Pumper.
“Everything that has to do with equipment and the actual response to emergencies is paid for by tax dollars,” Kratz explained. “Where we use the funds is for retention of members … So we’ll have events during the year to try to attract members, to try to retain members, and that obviously keeps taxes down, because there’s no paid firefighters in town.”
“It’s really been a nice, party atmosphere, pretty laid back,” Kratz said of the event.
“ … This is a ‘put some jeans on, come hang out with your friends, come meet some of the firefighters and enjoy yourself.”
Relief Beerfest is one of three fundraisers the company hosts, along with the Howard Schuster Easter flower sale and the build a scarecrow event at Autumn in Moorestown.
The event will begin at 5:30 at the Community House of Moorestown. Tickets are available at https://www.reliefbeerfest.com.
“I think we’re all most excited about just getting to spend time with the community,” Kratz noted. “ … This is an opportunity for us to hang out with people on a fun day, not when they’re having an issue with their house or a medical issue or a car accident.”
“This is a great time for us to get to know the people that we live with and that we serve as part of the department.”
