Beer: A community service

I have two weeks to raise $1,250, and I need assistance.

This isn’t an email claiming I’m broke and lost in India. It’s a request to help our local community by drinking beer.

We’re obviously talking about Rancho Beernardo, the county’s only IPA festival. It’s sponsored by RB Sunrise Rotary and URGE Gastropub.

Full disclosure: I’m a club member, hence this plea for help.

It seems some genius decided everyone in the club must raise $1,500 each. Mrs. Marketing agreed we’ll cover $250 ourselves.

As for the rest…help!

The club expects to raise $100,000 this year, pouring it into scouting, YMCA, schools and senior activities. We’ll build houses for the homeless, distribute dictionaries to third graders and provide medical services to the poor.

We’ll financially support 20-30 organizations, plus provide hands-on help to Ronald McDonald House, PoVa, and others.

But we can’t do it all ourselves. You can participate in three different ways:

1) Join us in Webb Lake Park on October 22, 2-5pm, for 50+ craft beers, savory foods, entertainment galore, and guaranteed fun.

2) Market your business to 1,000+ visitors. Six sponsorship levels are available, where $100+ will promote your name to very upscale attendees. Sponsor benefits include free admittance, recognition in print, online, and at the event itself.

Oh yeah…did I mention you can be brewmaster for a day?

3) Send a donation to the RB Sunrise Rotary Fund at the San Diego Foundation to help wipe out polio.

Rotarians take the concept of “Service Above Self” quite seriously! All funds generated support local youth and community programs.

Now were I with another non-profit, I’d probably be ruffled by this request. After all, every group thinks their fundraiser is the most important one out there.

However, given the number and range of other groups this money will help support, your participation will help us and them.

Furthermore, this is a golden (or amber) opportunity to target hundreds of local customers with disposable income. They’ll reward your business’ participation in the community with their patronage.

And I’m willing to venture the lifetime value of each new customer is significantly more than the cost of your sponsorship.

So for a good time, and to grow your business, plan to be part of Rancho Beernardo 2016.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Find Rancho Beernardo sponsorship forms and ticket options at www.askmrmarketing.com.