Tour local breweries on bike, help save the world
Three friends wanted to combine two things they loved — cycling and craft beer — with their passion for helping others. The result was Tour de Brew, which raises money to bring clean water to Central Africa.
The tour, which started in Raleigh, N.C., comes to Indianapolis on Saturday.
Paul Dreisbach, the local organizer, works for MudLOVE, a Warsaw, Ind., pottery and jewelry company. With every product sold, a percentage goes to its nonprofit partner.
That’s where his friends Jay Hocking and Jon Allen come in. They work for Water for Good.
The organization was founded 11 years ago by Hocking’s father Jim, who was born in Warsaw.
The group’s mission is to help stabilize Central African Republic, one of the most neglected countries in the world. They do that by drilling wells that provide clean water to the villages, which they say is the first step out of extreme poverty.
Then the group stays engaged with the communities to provide maintenance and training to keep the water flowing.
The three became friends through these common interests. Then they thought, “wouldn’t it be great if we could do this for an actual cause and also have an excuse to visit breweries?” Hocking said.
Their first tour in Raleigh went crazy, Dreisbach said. The event drew around 600 riders and raised $27,000 for Water for Good.
They decided to take the tour on the road, and with their Hoosier ties and a booming craft beer scene, Indy was an obvious choice. Other stops include Portland, Ore.; Columbus, Ohio; and Durham, N.C.
Tour de Brew will begin and end at Triton Brewing Co., one of nine participating breweries. There are four bike routes to choose from that make four to six brewery stops.
If you aren’t into biking, you can just join in at the after-party and donate to the cause.
Tour de Brew
When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5.
Where: Triton Brewing Co., 5764 Wheeler Road.
Cost: Free, but participants can earn rewards by raising money for Water for Good. Rewards include beer tickets, handmade MudLOVE beer stein, T-shirts and cycling caps.
Contact: www.tourdebrew.org.
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