Northern Nevada’s premier event for wine, beer, spirit and food connoisseurs, Barrels & Bites, was set to return to the Peppermill on September 11, 2020. The heavily attended festival of drinks and excitement has been forced to cancel for the first time since the event’s inception. The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows is the official benefactor of the annual event where net proceeds average $80,000 and $10,000 of that comes from United Federal Credit Union. For the past three years, United has sponsored the event for $10,000, and has hosted a “Diamond Drop” raffle during the event where attendees can purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to win a one-carat diamond ring, generating more proceeds for the Club. Despite the cancellation of the event, United has announced that their commitment to the Club will remain steady during this off year and once again, they will donate $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, to demonstrate their dedication to supporting local youth.
“The young people in our community need our support now more than ever,” said Meredith Williams, United’s Market Vice President in Nevada. “The team at United is happy to be able to support the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows during this time so that they have the resources to continue inspiring and serving our local youth. We’re all in this together, and that means stepping up to help out when and how you can. A little kindness goes a long way.”
Public gathering and social distancing restrictions make the event impossible to hold as 2,500 attendees are tightly tucked in to the Peppermill’s Tuscany Ballroom to dance, mingle and taste drinks. The event also receives a great deal of support from Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits as they provide 100% of the event’s liquor, wine and beer and the vendors to distribute the alcohol. As long-standing partners of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, they stand ready and eager for Barrels & Bites 2021.
“This is a tough year for everyone, and has been especially tough on our Club families. We’ve been able to keep our doors open, serving families and the community since the start of COVID-19 and that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of partners and donors like United Federal Credit Union. We are extremely grateful for their major support of the Club. I’d also like to extend gratitude to the Peppermill and Southern Glazers, they have been unwavering supporters of ours and we can’t wait to work with them again in 2021. Barrels & Bites is our most unique and exciting fundraiser and we’re certainly going to miss it this year, but we vow to make B&B 2020 the best yet!” Mike Wurm, CEO Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows.
The Club is optimistically planning for a fall 2021 Barrels & Bites. Dates and information can be found on barrelsandbites.com. If you’d like to support the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, online donations can be made on bgctm.org/itjusttakesone/.