GREENE ­– Hosted by Team Wayne & Irene, the third annual Pub Goes Red takes place from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Nathanael Greene’s Publick House. The event is an informative fundraiser in honor of loved ones who have passed on due to heart disease.
“We come together and remember the people who are no longer with us, but we also have a lot of fun,” said Southern Tier Heart Association Director and granddaughter of Wayne Chapman, Gina Chapman.
Team Wayne & Irene consists of family members and close friends of Irene Tornillo and Wayne Chapman, who both suffered from fatal heart-related illnesses.
For the past two years, the Pub Goes Red has been Team Wayne & Irene’s largest fundraiser. The group is part of an annual American Heart Association Heart Walk which takes place April 28 at Binghamton University. The team’s members are proud to say they are able to hold their own against the much larger corporate teams with a group of about 15 active fundraisers.
“With our team being so family oriented, it’s a really great time having everyone come together for an awesome cause,” said team captain Christa Ceiri, another of Wayne Chapman’s family. “The first year doing the Pub Goes Red, we had a great turnout, but the second year there were twice as many people!”
Just like last year, around 100 baskets of goodies donated by local businesses will be raffled off, with prizes which appeal to a broad spectrum of tastes including a bucket filled with a number of top name bottles of liquor dubbed the “barrel of cheer.” A unique menu comprised of healthy food choices will also be available as part of the anti-heart disease theme. There will also be an abundance of food and drink specials with 10 percent of the proceeds being donated to the American Heart Association Heart Walk. Attendees are encouraged to wear red articles of clothing and people can purchase red drinks and bracelets. Donations will be tracked in the window of the pub.
Live music will be preformed by musicians Tom Adams and Cary Najarian playing a wide variety of genres. The extent of the event has grown so large it has become necessary for the second floor of pub to be opened up.
“It’s grown well beyond the scope of just family and friends,” said Ceiri, “and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that there are so many great raffle baskets, many more than other fundraisers usually have.”
Most of the local merchants in Greene donate items for the Pub Goes Red’s now famous raffles, 50/50 raffles, and door prizes, which have helped to draw a greater number of people to the event each year.
“It’s important to understand that heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States, but it is 85 percent preventable through healthy living or even by just being aware of a heart attack’s warning signs,” said Chapman.
The event is open to the public and there will be no cover charge.