Chattanooga's Kids on the Block

Photo attached: L to R: Katy Sanders, Big River Grille & Brewing Works, Monica Maples, Big River Grille & Brewing Works, Kelly Wilson, Director of Marketing, CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc., Sue Ivey, Program Director, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block, Kelly Williams, Executive Director Chattanooga's Kids on the Block; Earlynn Schubert, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block and David Sharpe, BrewMaster, Big River Grille & Brewing Works.

Chattanooga, TN – Chattanooga's Kids on the Block received the largest check to date from its annual partnership with the Southern Brewer's Festival. Kelly Wilson, Director of Marketing for CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc., presented a $150,000 check of proceeds raised through the festival hosted by Big River Grille & Brewing Works.

The one-day event held last August at Ross's Landing in downtown Chattanooga featured over 75 premium ales and lagers and a variety of food vendors including Big River Grille & Brewing Works' signature festival-fare along with everything from Cajun dishes and lemonade to Philly-style cheese steaks and fries. The festival's featured entertainers included Big Head Todd & the Monsters and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe among other well known artists.

"This past year's event was the largest ever with over 30 regional brewers and over 10,000 people in attendance," said Ms. Wilson. "We are thrilled to present this check to Chattanooga's Kids on the Block as this will help them continue their mission of educating children, giving them skills to stay safe and healthy. Big River Grille & Brewing Works takes pride in philanthropic efforts within our communities and is privileged to give back by helping provide unique educational opportunities for children and adults within our region. We sincerely believe in the work that Chattanooga's Kids on the Block does in our community and we are proud to be able to help make a difference in the lives of others."

For the past five consecutive years, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block has been the recipient of the proceeds from the Southern Brewers Festival. During the span of this partnership, Big River Grille & Brewing Works has presented over $550,000 from the Southern Brewers Festival proceeds to the organization.

"It has been and continues to be a pleasure to work with the team from Big River Grille & Brewing Works on the Southern Brewers Festival," said Kelly Williams, Executive Director of Chattanooga's Kids on the Block. "The proceeds from each of the past five festivals yearly mark the largest single donation Chattanooga's Kids on the Block has received and it continues to have a positive impact in our area."

According to Ms. Williams, the contributions from the Southern Brewers Festivals have allowed Chattanooga's Kids on the Block to make tremendous accomplishments including:

• Increase educational programming from 17 licensed programs to 27 of the 42 national programs
• Purchase new puppets and props at a cost of over $10,000
• Increased the number of programs performed to over 400 yearly free of charge to schools in our region
• Increase number of children and adults served from 35,000 children and adults served yearly to 56,000 served last year alone
• Provide additional resource materials for educators and parents focused on healthy lifestyle choices
• Provide educational programming services in two additional counties in Tennessee, making Chattanooga's Kids on the Block one of the largest Kids on the Block troupes in the region, now serving 14 counties in Tennessee and Georgia
• Host four free community events, Pinwheels for Prevention, which focuses on child abuse awareness. The free event is held annually at the Creative Discovery Museum.
• Hold three Regional Puppet Conferences, providing hands on training for Kids on the Block troupes around the country. All Chattanooga's Kids on the Block puppeteer/educators are nationally certified puppeteers in the art bunraku puppetry.

"These are just a few of the accomplishments the proceeds from the Southern Brewers Festival have helped to provide for our community," said Ms. Williams.

For the past 31 years, CKOB has featured life size puppets designed to teach children and adults about social concerns and differences in a non-threatening manner, giving them skills to stay safe and healthy. The programs are free of charge to schools in fourteen counties in Tennessee and North Georgia thanks to funding from United Way, Tennessee Department of Children's Services, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Lyndhurst Foundation Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association, Tennessee Donor Services, BASF, Sertoma Club of Chattanooga, Kiwanis Club of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Civitan Club, Ronald McDonald House Charities, individual donors and fundraising events such as Southern Brewers Festival.

For more information, visit southernbrewersfestival.com, kidsontheblock.net or call the CKOB office at 423-757-5259 or Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group at 423-424-2000.