Town to host Battle of Breweries

Blood drive competition is first on the East Coast

Seven craft beverage establishments in Phoenixville will square off in a friendly competition Oct. 1 to see which can attract the most eligible blood donors. It’s all part of an American Red Cross Battle of the Breweries blood drive competition.

The blood drive runs from 2 to 7 p.m. in the game room at Root Down Brewing Co., 1 N. Main St. in Phoenixville.

Phoenixville’s Battle of the Breweries is the first such event on the East Coast, and only the second of its kind in the country, according to Alana Mauger, communications manager, Red Cross Penn Jersey Blood Services region. The first she said, was held in Oregon.

“One of our donor recruitment account reps. heard about it and thought it would be great to do in Phoenixville,” Mauger said.

Siobhan Cusumano is that donor recruitment account representative. Her job is to work with blood drive sponsors to schedule blood drives and help recruit donors. She started to talk to peo-

ple in Phoenixville and they liked the idea, according to Mauger.

The Battle of the Breweries is a typical blood drive, with the added twist that donors are invited to cast a vote for their favorite establishment when they come in to make a donation. Each brewery is giving a different incentive for those donors that name their brewery.

The “winner” of the event will be the brewery with the most votes at the end of the event.

Participants in the Battle of the Breweries include: Black Walnut Winery, 260 Bridge St.; Bluebird Distilling, 100 Bridge St.; Conshohocken Brewing Co., 230 Bridge St.; Crowded Castle Brewing Co., 242 Bridge St.; Rebel Hill Brewing Co., 420 Schuylkill Road; Root Down Brewing Co.; and Stable 12 Brewing Co., 368 Bridge St.

“The overall good is far bigger than what brewery gets to brag next time we’re drinking beers together,” said Mike Hamara, owner of Root Down Brewing.

Hamara said he’s hosting the event because of the overall size of the Root Down facility — 13,000 square feet. He said he was on-board with the idea from the beginning.

“I consider myself to be pretty clever in coming up with promotional ideas, but this is really a great idea,” he said. “We’ll be able to show the community we’re all on the same side in Phoenixville — that we’re all helping each other. It’s going to be a great event.”

Jared Adkins is the owner of Bluebird Distilling. He said he was excited by the idea and was also onboard right away.

“Phoenixville has a really awesome bond among the craft producers and beyond. We have done some other fun activities together,” he said. “When we heard about this, it seemed like a good idea as a way to get people interested in giving blood. It’s an approachable way to give blood and not be nervous about it.”

The breweries are being joined in the event by Steel City Coffeehouse, 203 Bridge St. and Your Mom’s Place, 324 Bridge St., which will be offering pre-blood drive specials on Oct. 1 to ensure donors are well fed before they give blood.

“The support from Phoenixville’s business community has been outstanding. With nine establishments on board in the first year, we can’t wait to see how this event will grow,” Mauger said, adding that planning has come together fairly quickly.

“I think it (the support) happened organically,” Hamara said. “We’re a tight group of people in Phoenixville. I know the owners of other places. We started talking about it and it grew. It wasn’t so much about asking people to participate. In Phoenixville it was just a group of friends that said ‘if you are doing it, we will, too.’”

“We have been talking about it for the last couple of weeks, telling patrons about it,” Adkins said. “We all have a fairly friendly rivalry in town. We see a lot of people on a daily basis — they frequent each spot. I guess we’ll see who they like best.”

Laura Vernola-Simpson and her husband Ed Simpson, who own Steel River Coffeehouse, will support the blood drive by offering a 10 percent discount to anyone donating blood, as well as the workers at the drive, on Oct. 1.

She added that they will also be delivering heart shaped cookies with icing.

“When we get approached for blood drive, or fundraisers — we’re usually pretty eager to jump onboard. I’m happy to see all the breweries jumped in for a good cause,” she said. “I expect them to see a lot of the community there. I think it’s going to be great.”

The kitchen at the Steel River Coffeehouse doesn’t usually stay open past 2 p.m., according to VernolaSimpson. Starting with the blood drive, she said, the kitchen will be staying open later on a regular basis.

The couple just this week, announced they will be adding an artisanal Nano brewery to the location later this fall.

The Red Cross, according to Mauger, has set a goal of collecting 37 units during the blood drive. To meet that goal — the Red Cross needs about 50 people, and Mauger said they can staff according to the number of donors. Initially, a collection team of 12-15 will be on-site.

For his part Hamara said he’s trying to get as many of his 50 employees involved as possible.

“Everyone is busy, and it’s tough sometimes for blood drives. I think we’ll hit an audience that may not have taken time to give blood before. It’s being done in a fun approach,” Hamara added.

All donors will receive a free T-shirt, while supplies last, as well as a special incentive from the craft establishment for which they cast their vote. Offers and items are non-transferrable and are not redeemable for cash, according to the release.

Appointments are strongly encouraged, according to Mauger.

To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code Battle of the Breweries or call 1-800-REDCROSS. To donate blood, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent in Pennsylvania and New Jersey), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.

For more information about the Red Cross visit RedCross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or on Twitter at @RedCross.

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SUBMITTED PHOTO Seven craft beverage locations in Phoenixville will participate in a Battle of the Breweries blood drive Oct. 1 for the Red Cross. The drive is being hosted by Root Down Brewing Company.