Winter Beer-lympics brings community together for employee
Brook Riley and Spencer Creekmore compete at Hops and Hounds’ Winter Beer-lympics, an event to raise money for Riley’s medical expenses. (photo:Ben Pounds )
The craft beer garden and dog park held its “Winter Beer-lympics” Feb. 1. It was just one of many fundraisers they’d held to financially help their employee Brooke Riley, who is recovering from a double mastectomy. Riley called the fundraiser “touching” and “a blessing.”
“I’m just grateful for a community that’s been behind me and beside me,” Riley said during a break in the event, in which she also competed. “I’m so loved.
“I don’t even know who’s given what and they ‘ve come to support me; it’s amazing,” she added. “Just bouncing back from all the trauma that my body has been through and having the support of having everyone rally beside me as I heal, I will definitely need that support.”
“It’s touching in a way that I never knew was imaginable.”
Hops and Hounds co-owner Maggie Parrott said Riley was a regular customer even before becoming an employee. Parrott also knew her from working out together at Secret City Crossfit.
As an employee, Riley has done “a little of everything,” Parrott said, including monitoring dog behaviors, keeping the park areas clean, pouring beers and talking to customers.
“We’ve gotten to know her and her family really well,” she said. “We want to be part of a community that supports others and supports the people around us.”
The Winter Beer-lympics fundraiser followed two others.
The first involved Hops and Hounds co-owner Bela Parrott getting a mohawk and painting it pink after reaching a fundraising threshold, and the other involved proceeds from sales of Barrique Pilsner.
“It’s a blessing,” said Riley. “The amount of support that I’ve had, it’s touching to me.”
