Kidney Fest 2016

Kidney Fest, a Homebrew & Craft Beer fundraiser to benefit Jeannie's Kidney Fund, will take place this Saturday (9/24) from 3-8pm at Marker 48 Brewing in Weeki Wachee, FL. This is the third charity beer fest in two years to contribute to Jeannie's Kidney Fund.

Tickets are $25 prior to the event ($30 at the door) and include unlimited samples of over 60 different homebrew & craft beers. To purchase tickets visit jeannieskidneyfund.com, or stop into Marker 48.

This year's festival includes a SMaSH (Single Malt, Single Hop) beer competition in which participating brewers will have their SMaSH concoctions judged by a panel of judges (of which I have the pleasure of being a part) and the winning beer will be awarded a hand-carved wooden trophy signifying their smashing success (see image below)!

The festival will also include raffle prizes, auctions, food trucks, and live music! 

All proceeds from this event will help with ongoing medical costs resulting from Jeannie's kidney transplant surgery.

Join in on the discussion and receive updates on the beers and special auction items by viewing the Facebook Event Page for Kidney Fest.

Kidney Fest Beer/Brewery List

Jeannie’s Kidney Fund Summary

Jeannie was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease aka Kidney Failure and was on daily dialysis for 9 hours a day, every day.

While waiting for a transplant donor, Jeannie's son,Eric, bravely signed up to donate his kidney to another family in exchange for one given to Jeannie. Thankfully, Jeannie received a successful transplant on March 4th, 2015!

This fund for Jeannie is established to help offset some of the expenses incurred with the transplant procedure and lifelong recovery.

Beersgiving: Pumpkin Beer and Charity Event

Tickets are now available for Beersgiving, a charity beer festival that includes a pumpkin beer contest, over 60 homebrew and craft beers,  live music, raffles, auctions, and more!

Beersgiving is more than just a beer festival, it’s an event to raise money for Jeannie’s Kidney Fund. Jeannie was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease, (Kidney Failure) and was on daily dialysis for 9 hours a day, every day. While waiting for a transplant donor, something that could take years and is never a given, her son Eric took matters into his own hands and bravely agreed to donate his kidney to another family in exchange for one given to Jeannie.

On March 4^th, 2015, Jeannie received a successful transplant and was on her way to a healthy recovery.

Eric and Jeannie accepting a "Kidney Trophy" at April's Homebrew and BBQ

Beersgiving exists to bring the beer community together to enjoy great locally brewed beer, and to raise awareness and funds to offset the costly medical bills the family has since incurred.

This is the follow-up festival to last April’s “Homebrew and BBQ” event that successfully brought in hundreds of craft beer fans, as well as local homebrewers and craft breweries. The event was one of the most enjoyable beer events I attended all last year. There was great beer, food, music, and there were several brewers on hand who were happy to talk about their craft. 

Beersgiving is expected to draw an even larger crowd, and will have plenty of local brewers on hand as they compete in the pumpkin beer contest. The competition is an exciting addition to the event and gives local brewers an extra incentive to bring some of their best pumpkin-inspired brews. The pumpkin beers will be tasted and critiqued by a panel of four judges, and I am honored to announce that I will be serving as one of the judges at the event.

 All proceeds of this event support Jeannie’s Kidney Fund. To purchase tickets, simply visit: http://jeannieskidneyfund.com/shop/beersgiving/

Ticket includes unlimited samples of over 60 homebrew and craft beers! A turkey dinner will be available as well for purchase. Pumpkin Beer Competition, Live Music, Raffles, Auctions...what's not to love?

Come have a great night out and support a great cause for one of our local residents!The event takes place at Pine St. Pub, Inverness, FL.