Pub Mania a shining example of fundraising for Children's Auction

GILFORD — Organizers with the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction and Patrick’s Pub & Eatery are all set for another year of successful fundraising through Pub Mania.

Pub Mania, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on  Thursday, Dec. 12, marks the 13th iteration of the event that challenges teams from the broader community to raise funds to support the Children’s Auction.

Held at Patrick's Pub, Allan Beetle, an owner of the popular eatery, came to the notion of holding a marathon-length barstool competition while participating in a “Cyclemania” event in 2006 or 2007. That fundraiser, organized by Tom and Laurie Oakley, challenged teams to ride stationary bicycles in order to raise charitable funds.

Beetle found himself on such a stationary bike and looked over at a neighboring rider when the idea struck — why not hold a similar event but open it up to broader appeal throughout the community by hosting it at a bar?

And Pub Mania was born. 

“It’s a fundraiser for helping out the children of our community,” Beetle said Monday morning. 

Every hour for 12 hours there will be a new group providing entertainment for members of the public to watch. Teams, mostly comprised of employees of local businesses, will take turns sitting at a designated barstool and competing in activities.

Notable timeslots this year include the “survivor olympics” at 2 p.m., the “kinda sexy Santa hours” from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and live music with yet-to-be announced special guests from 5 p.m. until the event’s conclusion at 11 p.m.

“It’s a lot of fun and it’s really a celebration of the 30 teams and the work they’ve done throughout the year,” he said. “This is our 13th year, we started in 2009.”

Over the course of its history, Pub Mania has been forced to evolve. Before the pandemic, it was a 24-hour event. Before the pandemic, Pub Mania was a standalone event, but afterward incorporated into the greater community challenge. During 2021 and 2022, organizers had to become creative in seeking ways to fundraise for the Children’s Auction, and, ultimately, decided it would be most helpful if Pub Mania could return.

Now, the event is in a 12-hour format, which Beetle said was much more sustainable. 

Thirty stools around the bar at Patricks serve as home bases for the teams, one for each, and teams are made up of 12 competitors. Those participants are tasked with fundraising individually throughout the year on behalf of the Children’s Auction.

Pub Mania holds a special place in Warren Bailey’s heart, too. He started the Children’s Auction in December 1982, 43 years ago. He’s friends with Beetle and will attend the opening ceremony on Thursday.

“It’s been a while,” Bailey said. “[Beetle] really stepped up big time to help us out in helping children in need.”

Back in 1982, Bailey said he saw the need for such a charity in the community. In its inaugural year, volunteers managed to raise $2,100 and fill two trucks full of toys and clothes for Lakes Region children. Now, the organization has raised millions.

“It’s beyond my wildest dreams,” he said. “It truly is a room full of love from year one when Pub Mania started.”

Last year, teams were able to raise $10,000, $20,000 and two teams even raised $30,000 each, respectively. They’ve set their goal this time around to “last year plus $1”, Beetle explained. Participants managed to raise over $350,000 last time around.

Teams raise those funds by promoting events like golf tournaments, road races, bake sales and other, more peculiar events like the “helicopter Santa drop” which occurred on Saturday.

“It is spectacular,” auction Executive Director Jennifer Kelley said Monday afternoon. “The community of teams that get together.”

Kelley said the efforts put forward by all of the volunteers and participants is touching and her organization feels a deep sense of gratitude.

“Raising funds and raising awareness,” Kelley said. “It’s really inspiring — the creativity and the dedication is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s so inspiring because they really put so much effort in and it’s all about the kids.”

Pulling the event off each year is no easy feat and Kelley said it takes an all-hands-on-deck effort to make it happen. 

“We couldn’t be more grateful,” Kelley said. “It takes a village to raise this much money.”

“Pub Mania is part of the family of the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction,” she said. “We’re one big family.”

Board Chair Doug Morrissette said he’s excited for Pub Mania later this week. From his perspective, the way to measure success is by raising the funds to meet all of the requirements for about 35 grants which would help serve over 32,500 children in the Lakes Region. 

“Pub Mania is another huge community event that everyone loves to take part in. It’s just amazing to see the community come together to raise all these funds,” he said Monday morning.