Beer breakfast benefits Bay Area charities

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A Bay Area charity that provides essentials for families in need is getting a ‘breakfast’ boost. 

Volunteers at the Pineapple Project have been keeping busy lately. 

"We have completed 70 houses and about three and a half years," Ashley Cornetet, Pineapple Project president said. "We're a volunteer army, so we lean in and help as many as we can every month. 

This is just going to allow us to serve more families that maybe don't have couches, don't have beds to sleep on. So, we're really excited for this event." 

The event is called Beer Breakfast. It’s a fundraiser in St. Petersburg that was started by Jared Repka and some of his buddies to help non-profits like the Pineapple Project. They started in 2008 and it has gotten bigger every year. 

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"Five people got together on a Saturday morning and ate some donuts, and drank some beer," Repka said.  Eventually, it turned into 20 people. Fifty people. One hundred people and now three, 400 people."  

They’re serving up good cheer for many Bay Area charities. 

"I think we raised $1,100 for Children's Dream Fund and each year has gotten bigger and better. This year, we will be approaching $150,000 for local charities," Repka explained. 
Repka said keeping it informal is one of the keys to success. 

"The nice thing about a beer breakfast event is that we are able to be ourselves," Repka shared. "We're not having to get dressed up and be proper, if you will. We just come out, have a real good time, get crazy, and do good in our community." 

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"This is an amazing way that we can all come together, love on each other, support each other, and ultimately help more families in need," Cornetet shared.  

It’s a collective effort to make the world a better and more cheerful place. The event will be at Mandarin Hide Bar in St. Pete on Saturday.

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