Category Archives: Fundraisers

Help A Pittsburgh Non-profit Save Xmas!

Let me start this post by giving credit to the Pittsburgh bloggers AND blog readers. Remember back in September – I wrote a post about how the Light of Life men’s shelter was in desperate need of underwear – Pittsburghers stepped up to the plate and not only donated tons of new underwear, but we also raised $1385 for Light of Life to purchase even more clean underwear.

With the holiday season upon us – I’m hoping you will read this and consider lending your support to another Pittsburgh organization that is working very hard to bring some holiday cheer.

Community Human Services (CHS) is a non-profit, located in Oakland – that offers several different programs that serves some of our fellow Pittsburghers who need some extra help. Many of their programs work with Pittsburghers who are homeless or struggle with mental illness. You can learn more about CHS and their programs on their website – http://www.chscorp.org/

For the past few years – CHS has organized a holiday gift card drive – gift cards and donations are collected for CHS to be able to offer some holiday gifts, trips to restaurants and some fun to the Pittsburghers they serve. We have been happy to help support this gift card drive in the past and this year we really need your help. I was talking with the folks at CHS and they are behind in meeting their $5000 goal.

There are a number of you can help CHS reach their goal… keep scrolling down for how you can win some prizes too!

1. Attend the CHS Holiday Gift Project Event on Thursday, November 29, 2012, 6-10pm at Hough’s in Greenfield

This is going to be a fun event. Last year we gathered on Mt. Washington for an evening of cookie eating and gift card gathering for CHS. The host committee is working extra hard to make sure this year is even better – I hope you will join me and the rest of the host committee (and this is an all star crew of folks that work on great cool projects for Pittsburgh) to eat cookies and support CHS.

Event Details:

CHS Holiday Gift Project Party
Thursday, November 29, 2012
6-10p,
Hough’s, 563 Greenfield Ave, Greenfield
Admission: Bring a gift card to donate or make a donation in any amount (you can donate online before the event here), cash bar.
RSVP: Click here to RSVP Not required but helpful – let us know you’ll attend by filling out this quick form here (it will save you some handwriting at the door)
Facebook Event Link – please invite your friends – http://www.facebook.com/events/295774077189954/

2. Donate to the CHS Holiday Gift Project

Did you say you have plans on Thursday and you can’t make the event? Not a problem! You can still help support the CHS Holiday Gift Project and help us reach our goal – we’ve set up a one of those nifty crowdrise pages for the cause – http://www.crowdrise.com/chs2012/

3. Help Spread the Word – Donate, Tweet & Share to Win

While I hope you will come to Hough’s on Thursday and make a donation on the Crowdrise page – I also hope you will help us spread the word about the CHS Holiday gift programs AND your favorite Pittsburgh holiday charities. I know there are tons of great organizations that Pittsburghers support – please share a link to your favorite project in the comments below or on Twitter with the #pghsavesxmas

I have pulled together some raffle prizes to giveaway for helping to spread the word and set up a Rafflecopter page for keeping track of this – lots of ways to enter!

Raffle Prizes include: Pgh Love t-shirt, $25 Gift Certificate to East End Book Exchange

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sauerkraut Supper on Saturday

pork and sauerkraut - kum esse! (Photo credit: yumievriwan)

With baseball season behind us – maybe your missing Sauerkraut Saul, or a hot dog with sauerkraut from the ball game. We can’t bring back the pierogi race until the spring – but for $8 you can enjoy a traditional German Sauerkraut dinner on Saturday. All of the proceeds from this event benefit the Lawrenceville United Summer Youth Programs.

Click here for details on the Traditional German Sauerkraut Supper

Lawrenceville United works to improve the quality of life in Lawrenceville through resident advocacy, neighborhood planning and grass roots organizing.

Website – www.lunited.org
Facebook Page
Twitter – @LvilleUnited

Pitt-Starter: The Brew Gentlemen Are Bringing a Brewery to Braddock

There is just 2 days left on this Kickstarter project, and these guys have already passed their goal to raise $25,000. They have even passed their 2nd goal to raise $30,000.

But I wanted to share their video anyways. I met these two gentlemen last year at the first Grub With Us dinner last January – you can read a recap of the dinner here. This is a cool little video and gives you an intro to their brewery and Braddock. But I also think that the Brew Gentlemen is a great example of something happening in the local economy and it is the opposite of Pittsburgh brain-drain. We spend alot of time talking about folks growing up here and not coming back to town and we often overlook the the stories of those who come to Pittsburgh and decide to stay – which is just as important.

Matt and Asa (aka The Brew Gentlemen) came to Pittsburgh to attend Carnegie Mellon. Before they graduated they started working on their business and less than a year later – they have started a new business in Braddock.

You can read more about their brewery on The Brew Gentlemen blog here. They have been posting about their new space in Braddock, updates to their Kickstarter campaign, beer events around Pittsburgh and more. Even if you don’t give to the Kickstarter campaign – and they do have some cool rewards – keep these guys on your radar.

Upstart brewing company tapping into gluten free (wtae.com)
Home hobbyists dream of operating microbrewery in Latrobe (triblive.com)
Pittsburgh’s Historic ‘The Church Brew Works’ Wins Best Large Brewpub and Brewer of the Year Awards at the Great American Beer Festival (sacbee.com)
Penn Brewery Releases Winter Seasonal Beers For 2012 (tmrzoo.com)

Pitt-Starter: Help The Funniest Kids in Town, Move Across Town

One of the best kept secrets in town just maybe the Steel City Improv Theater (aka SCIT). SCIT was founded about 2 years ago by two folks who met doing improv in NYC and decided the burgh needed a space for Improv. Since it’s founding – SCIT has hosted classes and performances almost everyday of the week – and they have outgrown their little theater on the North Side.

Well the SCIT folks are moving across town – and they need your help. A new space for the theater and classrooms has been rented in Shadyside – just beneath the Highland Ave bridge and demolition has begun.

Even these kids have fun tearing down walls, well at least they take funny pictures…

while their Kickstarter project has met the initial goal of $5000 – they are eager to raise the full $12500 – money will go to the build out of their new theater space.

Watch the Kickstarter video below and support the SCIT here. They have some great thank you gifts – including the option to name the bathroom in the new theater.

Sept 15 – Event & Raffle to Support Cyclist Who Was Attacked Last Week

I don’t know if you saw this story in the news last week or not – last Wednesday a cyclist was violently attacked by a driver on the South Side. Please take a moment to read the story in the Post-Gazette here – they have released a description of the driver who has still not been identified.

The cyclist, Colin Albirght, has been in the hospital but he will be okay. I have seen some photos of his injuries, I don’t think it is appropriate to share those with out talking with him first – but shocking is not strong enough of a word to describe the photos.

Some friends of the cyclist are organizing a raffle and event to raise some money to help with expenses and recovery. This is where Pittsburgh is awesome – already numerous businesses and organizations have donated raffle prizes.

This is an opportunity to not only support Colin but to support the cycling community in Pittsburgh. Bikes are a good thing for Pittsburgh – less people in cars is a good thing for Pittsburgh. And the cycling community here has come together to do really good things for others in Pittsburgh – if you aren’t familiar with groups like Bike Pittsburgh, Free Ride, Flock of Cycles – please visit their websites and learn more about them. I also just learned about the Positive Spin program from the MGR Foundation that is working to provide city youth with cycling mentors.