Christmas Trees at the Hotel Bellwether

We have some talented decorators over at Boundary Bay Brewery. Head on over the the Hotel Bellwether on Saturday, December 6th from 4-6pm and check out our beer-themed tree!

Join us for the 3nd Annual Holiday Tree Lighting event benefiting the Opportunity Council’s Dorothy Place, A secure 21-unit facility in Bellingham that provides support services and transitional housing for single women and women with children who are survivors of domestic violence.

Local Bellingham businesses have masterfully decorated a themed tree at the hotel and we’re asking you to vote for your favorite! Voters are eligible to win a FREE night stay in the hotel Bellwether’s Light House Suite!

Tis the season of giving – so we kindly as that you bring along a nonperishable food items or provide a monetary donation. Throughout December, monetary and canned food donations will be collected to benefit Dorothy Place and donations will be met with a 10% discount to the Lighthouse Bar and Grill!

Holiday trees are on display through December. You are welcome to come down at any point during the week and vote starting this Saturday, December 6th from 4-pm! Cheers!

Celebrating Women in Whatcom County

Janet Lightner, manager of Boundary Bay Brwery, pictured above with bucket

Looking for a great local gift that will make YOU feel good too?  Check out the HER Calendar that celebrates Whatcom County women that were nominated by the community AND benefits 12 local nonprofits!  Last May, fifthonsixth – a local marketing agency – asked their Facebook community who the most beautiful and successful women in Whatcom County were.

They stressed that they were looking for women who were beautiful and successful inside and out.  The response they got was overwhelming!  Out of hundreds of answers, over 30 women were chosen to be featured in the calendar’s professional and classy black and white photos…including our very own Janet Lightner!

The calendars can be purchased online or at the various locations across Whatcom County including The Greenhouse, Old World Deli, the Pickford, Village Books and here at Boundary Bay Brewery.  HER calendars retail for $20 each (plus tax) and the proceeds of the sales will support local charities like the Whatcom Humane Society, the Bellingham Food Bank, Whatcom Land Trust, Make Shift and the Pickford Film Center.

Lake Padden Paddle for Food Relay

Hey paddlers, it’s time for the 2nd Annual Paddle for Food Relay, Saturday, Oct 17th, 2009. Last year the racers collected over 300lbs of food and $600 in cash for the Bellingham Food Bank. So don’t be outdone. Let’s collect even more cash and food this year! All paddlers are welcome. The entry fee to participate is a donation to the food bank in the form of food or money. Racers should meet at 9am in the West parking lot at Lake Padden, Bellingham, WA. The race is scheduled to start at 10am. Have questions? Email Peter Marcus at marcus@msrc.org or call 360-739-2257.

Boundary Bay Brewery Turns Late Show Into Charity Benefit

Boundary Bay Brewery has made a new commitment to turn our Friday Night Late Shows into fundraising opportunities for local charities.  In 2007, our brewery began hosting weekly Late Shows that feature the best of local and regional music.  Now, the shows will be held every other week and will benefit non-profits as well as the local music scene.  Boundary has a long history of supporting community non-profits like the annual Cribbage Tournament organized to benefit the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and the Inauguration Party held this year to benefit the Bellingham Food Bank.  Janet Lightner, our general manager here at Boundary Bay Brewery, sees this as just another way to give back to the community.

March 6th will herald the first of these fundraising opportunities.  Our Late Show, featuring Jack Conte, will benefit Amy’s Place, a local non-profit organization that serves as a drop-in center for the homeless and struggling youth of Bellingham.  Amy’s Place provides hot meals, hygiene kits, shower passes, clean clothing, food, and referrals to other community resources. This is the only center of its kind in Whatcom County and an average of 30 youth attend each of the three days a week Amy’s Place is open.  The success of this program has been overwhelming and the organization is currently struggling to find funding to keep their doors open and continue providing a vital service to these underserved youth.  “We are applying for funding everywhere. Federal grants will be announced in the spring and money from the City of Bellingham will probably come in around April.  It’s just getting through March and the last part of February that is a really big challenge. Boundary Bay’s timing is perfect!” says Heidi Unick, program director of Amy’s Place (a program component of Old Town Christian Ministries).

Every other Friday night, a different local non-profit will be at the receiving end of the money raised by the $4 cover price for the Boundary Bay Late Show. Non-profits who need fundraising should contact Janet Lightner by filling out the comment card on the contact page of our website.

Boundary Bay’s Inauguration Party!

Fun was had by all at the Boundary Bay Brewery Inauguration Party…as you can see from the photos!  We were packed and housed a great crowd of people all eager to celebrate this historic moment in American politics.  We filmed a live broadcast for ABC who showed it on air as well as projected the footage at the official Neighborhood Ball in Washington D.C. that the Obama family was attending.  We got lots of great shots of our lively crowd, plus (as you’ll see above) a photo of Aaron Jacob Smith, our head brewer, and Mike Zielfder, one of our salesmen, showing off their patriotic zeal!  To the left, in the middle, is a great shot of our General Manager, Janet Lightner, toasting the new change taking place.  Our Inauguration Party was pulling double duty and raising money for the Bellingham Food Bank at the same time.  Admission to our little shindig was $4.40 (in honor of our 44th president!) or two items of non-perishable food donated to our local food bank.  We here at Boundary Bay Brewery feel lucky to have been part of the Inauguration Day events on a national scale, to get a chance to raise money for our community,  and to celebrate the inauguration of Barak Obama with such wonderful people in our community.