This year, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.’s annual signature fundraising event, Vankleek Hill Oktoberfest, generated an impressive two-day total of $93,600 raised for community and charity, bringing the seven-year fundraising total to $430,600. Someone start a slow clap. This year, 18,841 festival-goers were in attendance over the two days (Oct. 2-3), enjoying one of our favorite Canadian craft beer, delicious food, zany games, indie musicians from Canada (excellent acts like Alvvays and Fucked Up) and even Tom Green.
In fact, the photo evidence is below, courtesy of Byfield-Pitman Photography (specifically Colleen Johnson and Ben Welland), who took these amazing images. The whole event looks like a blast. Enjoy some info and stats in between photos. Big old thanks to Jennifer Beauchesne for sending these along.
The money raised at Oktoberfest this year will benefit a total of 10 local and national organizations and charities, funding their work for the years to come. The 2015 signature charities are The Hawkesbury and District General Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society. Each signature charity received $10,000 from funds raised at the event, and the Vankleek Hill Agricultural Society received $15,000.
Probably beer related, but somehow this story got cut in two. Click “Next” below to continue to the second page.
The $10,000 donation received from Beau’s Oktoberfest will go towards the purchase of a new CT-Scan machine at the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital. “The current CT-Scan machine was installed in 2007 and has been used more than 45,000 times. That means that many members of our community did not have to travel to Ottawa or Montreal to receive their scan; they got it close to home,” says Pierre-Luc Byham, Executive Director of the HGH Foundation. When the redevelopment project at HGH is completed in 2018, it will be time to replace the current CT-Scan.
The Ottawa United Way charity bike ride from Ottawa to Vankleek Hill raised a total of $32,663 in support of their “All that Kids Can Be” Program. 200 riders participated in the event, whose top fundraisers, Oliver Anderson and Roddy McFall, each raised more than $2,000. The bike ride was made possible with help from Kunstadt Sports, United Way Ottawa and GenNext volunteers.
Other charities and organizations that will benefit from this year’s funds are United Way’s “All that Kids Can Be,” 100 percent Actifs, For Pivot’s Sake, Hidden Harvest, Ottawa Riverkeeper, Ottawa Skateboard Community Association, and Sacha’s Park.
In addition to Friday headliners Yukon Blonde, entertainment at Oktoberfest featured award-winning and renowned independent artists Alvvays, Walter Ostanek, The Dears, The Pack A.D., Fucked Up, The Beaches, and The Elwins, as well as the comedy of Ottawa native Tom Green. Bavarian and seasonally inspired creations were also available from 28 local restaurants, while activities like the keg toss and stein-holding struggle tested attendees’ endurance and strength.
Vankleek Hill Oktoberfest 2015: By the Numbers
- Funds raised: $93,600
- 2015 attendance: 18,851
- Litres of beer poured: 28,000
- Portions of food prepared: 45,000
- Beers entered in Homebrew Competition: 341
- Number of festival volunteers: 620
- Total artists/performers: 122
- Keg-toss event participants: 325
- Pieces of dishes & cutlery washed to reduce waste: 36,000
- Sunday Brewers’ Brunches served: 241
- Beau’s toques sold to keep people warm: 1036
- Total RVs and tents in camping area: 464
A big ole thanks again to Byfield-Pitman Photography. Colleen Johnson and Ben Welland have a lot of talent.
