Charity crawl draws cheers

John Duggan (left) of The Concord Group, Milwaukee, and pub crawl coordinator Chris Hastings of Arteaga Construction Inc. take a small break from the crawl fun on April 28. Images courtesy of Chris and Vicki Hastings

If there’s such a thing as a happy hangover, Chris and Vicki Hastings had it on April 29.

Their kids were at their grandparents’ house, which offered the Hastings plenty of time to recover from the pub crawl they organized the night before.

“I started at The Irish Pub on the south side of [Milwaukee’s] Third Ward,” said Chris Hastings, project superintendent for Arteaga Construction Inc., Milwaukee. “That was a lot of fun, and, at the end of the night, we helped them close up.”

The Hastings put together the pub crawl to raise money for Milwaukee-based Transitional Living Services Inc., which provides services for mental-health recovery and independence. Vicki Hastings, who is the development coordinator at TLS, said the event drew about 40 people and raised $400 for the organization.

Pub Crawl organizers Chris (left) and Vicki Hastings share a moment with Keiran O’Sullivan, owner of the Irish Pub Milwaukee.

“The thought process behind this was we were looking for an event that could cultivate the younger donor,” she said. “The young donors are our key target in the next few years. People can always donate $10, and you start there.”

It was the first official charity pub crawl, but the Hastings said they’re already planning for a similar event next year. This year’s crawl took the group around Milwaukee to The Irish Pub Milwaukee, Steny’s Tavern & Grill, Packys Pub and County Clare Irish Inn and Pub.

“Mostly, I know a lot of these owners; I frequent these bars,” Chris Hastings said. “We’re friends with the owners.”

Beyond the Arteaga Construction participants, the crawl drew people from J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc., Brookfield, and The Concord Group, Milwaukee.

“We had a blast,” Vicki Hastings said. “There were some gentlemen from Kentucky who we saw all the time, and they bought a pub crawl package for the T-shirt.

“The people on the crawl made the crawl, and, of course, the beer was really good.”

And as the beer flowed, the party got rolling, but Chris Hastings said it was a happy event with no mishaps.

“Everything was taken lightheartedly, and everyone had a good time with
each other,” he said. “My wife and I want to give a big thanks to everyone who participated.”

— Chris Thompson