Edinburg Rotary Club’s Bayou BrewFest 2023 Set For March 25th
Edinburg, TX, March 14, 2023
Feeding the hungry in the Rio Grande Valley and vaccinating children throughout the world against polio: these are but two of the many humanitarian projects supported by Rotary Clubs throughout the Valley. These and many other such projects will be funded by proceeds raised at the Edinburg Rotary Club’s Bayou BrewFest, to be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at the Ebony Hills Golf Club, 300 W. Palm Dr., Edinburg.
“Service is the reason Rotary exists,” said Nario Cantu, President of the Edinburg Rotary Club’s “Service Over Self (SOS)” Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) corporation which sponsors Bayou BrewFest. “There are Rotary Clubs in virtually every country around the world, all working to provide humanitarian service, to encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to build good will and peace throughout the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 167 countries throughout the world.”
“Locally, we focus on programs to alleviate hunger, to support medical services here and across the border, and to motivate and educate youths in our community through a variety of leadership and scholarship programs,” said Mike Tamez, President of the Edinburg Rotary Club.
“For example, the Edinburg Rotarians actively participate in a program called Hunters for the Hungry, which is sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The Commission encourages landowners to donate meat when animals such as deer and pigs are harvested from ranches and farms,” Tamez said.
“The animals are processed into two-pound packages of ground meat that are delivered frozen to the Food Bank,” Tamez explained. “Our Club funds the processing.”
According to Libby Salinas, Executive Director of the Food Bank, this donation from the Edinburg Rotary Club is the only meat that is available to the clients they serve. “Edinburg Rotary Club’s efforts to help feed hungry families in the Valley is to be applauded. They have worked for several years with hunters, area ranchers and meat processors to provide game-deer, hogs, etc., in an effort to control wild animal populations and feed needy families. The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley is very thankful for their support and work,” said Salinas.
“Our fundraising program provides scholarships to area students. In addition, Edinburg Rotarians support strongly supports the Edinburg Parks & Recreation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg RGV.
Edinburg Rotary served as a primary sponsor for the beginning of the Texas Scholars program in the Edinburg School district and maintains a scholarship endowment at the University of Texas-Pan American.
In 1985, Rotary International began a PolioPlus program to immunize all the children of the world against polio. In 2002 Europe was declared polio free, thanks to Rotarians worldwide who to date have raised more than $500 million to provide vaccines. Through Rotarians’ continuing efforts, polio is reported today only in a few remote locations in Asia and Africa. Many Rotarians travel to foreign countries to personally administer the vaccine to children, paying for their trips out of their own pockets.
Tickets for Bayou BrewFest 2023 are $100 per person or $125 at the door and include access to five food trucks, sampling of more than two dozen craft beers, dancing to the fabulous music of Spazmatics, and the opportunity to win on a variety of wonderful mystery items to help Edinburg Rotarians fund their many service projects. Sponsorships are available starting at $1,000 (5 tickets). Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.edinburgrotary.org .