Student beerdrinking charity run runs into brick wall

DUNEDIN police have put the kibosh on a student fundraiser, just over a week before it is due to be held.

Organiser Joel MacManus had planned to run the second annual Running of the Beers charity event on October 6, to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation.

It involves teams of two dressing up and running twice around Logan Park (about 5km) while carrying a box of beer or lemonade, and drinking them around the course.

Those participating in last year’s event included members of running clubs, but it was mainly supported by tertiary students, he said.

Mr MacManus got the idea after seeing the German sport of Kastenlauf — beer craterunning.

‘‘It’s for the students and people who want to have fun while also doing something for a good cause.’’

Mr MacManus, editor of student magazine Critic, said it was a personal project.

‘‘The Mental Health Foundation is an organisation which means a lot to me.

‘‘I think they do a lot of amazing work. I’ve seen their work and how much it benefits people.

‘‘If we can simultaneously do something really fun, which I think everyone would be on board with, and raise money for charity — I just thought that would be amazing.’’

He said about 200 people participated last year and raised about $900 for the charity.

This year, about 300 people were expected to participate and it was hoped $3000 could be raised.

However, he said Dunedin police had asked him to cancel the event. He was told noone could run any promotion for business purposes which encouraged excessive drinking.

‘‘I’d hoped that we were going to be able to work with them [police].

‘‘We could emphasise that everything was optional — you don’t have to finish 12 beers, you could drink lemonade instead.

‘‘The police basically weren’t having a bar of it.’’

He had hoped it could become an annual charity event.

‘‘I think it’s really sad and I’m disappointed.

‘‘It’s saddening that they weren’t willing to work with us, and that they felt they just needed to shut it down and prevent positive community events like this from happen ing,’’ Mr MacManus said.

Alcohol harm prevention officer Sergeant Ian Paulin, of Dunedin, said he contacted Mr MacManus last Friday to tell him the event breached section 237 of The Sale and Supply of Alcohol 2012.

‘‘Consuming a box of beer between two people over a 5km run is encouraging excessive consumption.

‘‘Last year the course was littered with vomit, a clear indication that this event contravenes the Act.’’