Pub Mania 2020 Reinvents Itself

PHOTO: Warren Bailey, founder of The Children’s Auction with Pub Mania Referees Jennifer & Allan Beetle and Pub Mania Team Captains as they presented funds to the 2019 Children’s Auction.

After 10 years and over $2.3 million dollars raised, Patrick’s Pub Mania, the self-proclaimed World’s Greatest Barstool Challenge, will transform into a pandemic-proof, socially distanced event able to safely grow the capacity for new teams and greater community impact for 2020 and beyond.
“Instead of the 24-hour barstool challenge to support the Children’s Auction, we’re creating a new event in order to expand the possibilities,” said Allan Beetle, co-owner of Patrick’s and creator of Pub Mania. “We see the opportunity to take Pub Mania to the next level. With the uncertainty surrounding the ability to host an indoor, live event, we’ve decided this is the year to make this change happen.”
The new event will be called “It’s for the Kids Community Challenge”, and a challenge it will be. Organizers have the lofty goal of continuing to grow the amount of funds raised for the children and families of the greater Lakes Region. The current teams of Pub Mania are committed to taking part, and additional teams are being sought.
While Pub Mania was billed as a 24-hour fundraiser, many of the 31 teams worked throughout the year to raise funds. The new event, to be initially chaired by Beetle, also puts no limits on the duration or scope of the fundraising efforts. Teams will recruit members and fundraise in their own creative and individual ways.
Working with local media, organizers will help acknowledge individual teams that participate and help get the word out and support their fundraising efforts. Teams will include businesses and organizations as well as teams of friends and families.
In its first year in 2009, Pub Mania raised $47,000 for the Children’s Auction, and last year, it brought in $355,453 bringing the total raised by Pub Mania to over $2.3 million. Each year, the teams involved played the “Plus $1” game – working toward a goal of raising at least one more dollar each year.
“Pub Mania has helped the Children’s Auction contribute more to children and families throughout the greater Lakes Region over the last 11 years” said Jaimie Sousa, chairperson of the Children’s Auction board. “We anticipate the need for assistance to grow in the coming year, and we’re all very excited about the prospects for this new event.”
It’s for the Kids Community Challenge will hold a Closing Ceremony outside in downtown Laconia on Thursday, December 10 to mark the closure of the 2020 event, allowing time to tally the results and present funds to the Children’s Auction on the closing day of the week-long event.
“To have the teams of Pub Mania say ‘yes, we’re in’ gives us a great start. That’s the kind of people that they are – people who make good things happen” said Beetle. “We’re hoping others will want to be part of what we think will be a very special event for this community.”
For more information, visit www.childrensauction.com or email abeetle@metrocast.net.