Thurmont’s First Pub Crawl Raises Funds for Breast Cancer

Alisha Yocum

The Town of Thurmont hosted its first-ever Pub Crawl this year, blending fun with fundraising to support breast cancer awareness and research. According to Vickie Grinder, the town’s Economic development manager, the idea was sparked during a casual conversation with Jim Burns of AMVETS Post 7. Burns, along with fellow AMVETS member Christopher Stouter, helped organize the poker-run portion of the event, ensuring the new fundraiser got off to a strong start.

Despite being a first-time event, the Pub Crawl drew 27 participants and successfully raised $400 for the Gateway to the Cure campaign, which supports breast cancer research. “Many first-time events just barely cover expenses or go in the hole,” noted Grinder. “To net $400 was great. Most events don’t start generating profits until their third year.”

Breast cancer has long been a cause close to Thurmont’s heart. Since the launch of Gateway to the Cure in 2014, the town has donated more than $187,900 to the American Cancer Society. The movement began after a noticeable rise in local diagnoses, with leaders determined to contribute to a cause affecting families everywhere.

For Stouter, the event had dual goals: raising money for breast cancer research and shining a spotlight on Thurmont’s growing restaurant and bar scene. “We wanted to show the people of the area that our restaurant and bar scene is coming back and that we have great places to eat and have a drink,” Stouter explained. With prior experience running motorcycle poker runs, he and Burns guided participating restaurants on how to host pub crawlers and manage the poker-card format.

Thurmont AMVETS, Thurmont Legion, 10Tavern, Bollinger’s Restaurant & Uncle Dirty’s Brew Works, and the Thurmont Kountry Kitchen all participated in the event.

While attendance was smaller than hoped—due in part to other competing events—organizers remain optimistic.

“We treated it like a training mission,” Stouter said. “We definitely succeeded in promoting local businesses and generating donations, and we’ll be more mindful about scheduling around other events in the future.”

Grinder said the Pub Crawl will become an annual tradition. “Each year, it becomes more difficult to raise funds due to the economy, and the idea of a pub crawl denotes fun—and that’s what we need to shed light on a horrible disease.”