Things to Do in San Diego: Newtown Edition

If there is one thing I have noticed amongst the craft beer community, especially here in San Diego, it's that there is no shortage of craft beer bars in the area. If you happen to frequent one or many of these establishments, chances are you will meet like-minded people who share the same appreciation and respect that you have for the industry. It goes without saying that there is an amazing camaraderie that comes hand-in-hand (and I suppose beer-in-hand) with the craft beer industry and I have met some pretty incredible people over the years because of it. One of these people is Kerin Sovern.

I was fortunate enough to meet Kerin a couple months back. Kerin was bartending at a local establishment near my house and struck a conversation with my girlfriend and I over a few beers. She was extremely friendly and a pleasure to talk to about the different beers we were drinking. A few weeks later, I went back to the same bar and saw Kerin being interviewed by the local news. It was during that visit I learned Kerin was from Newtown, Connecticut.

Newtown, as you all may very well know, is the town that was victim to the deadly shooting spree that occurred last month in which 26 people were murdered at the hands of a young shooter. The reporters had interviewed Kerin that day about a fundraising website (www.newtownpride.com) that she had started with a few other Newtown natives to support the school and victims’ families. Their mission statement on the website is as follows:

We founded Newtown Pride in response to the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012. We all grew up in Newtown, went through the Newtown school system and know what a wonderful, loving community it is. All proceeds generated from these sales will be donated to the Sandy Hook PTSA and the victims' families. Thank you for your support.

I have spoken to Kerin recently and since they have started this website, they have been recognized on local news networks as well as CNN. They have raised over $30,000 towards the Sandy Hook PTSA and the victims’ families and continue to raise more each day. It is an incredible feat and I am extremely proud of Kerin and all the other volunteers who have made this such a successful and noble effort.

If you are at all interested in donating to the site or purchasing a t-shirt, please visit www.newtownpride.com and help out a fellow friend. Afterall, if it wasn’t for that craft beer camaraderie I mentioned earlier, I would have never met Kerin and been able to participate in such an honorable cause.

Cheers,
Charles Eck