Irish Christmas is Here
Irish Christmas is Here
Bob McCarthy Foundation puts the magic into fundraising this Friday
Let it snow! Bob McCarthy’s Irish Christmas is happening this Friday, December 6th at Ellicottville Brewing Company beginning at 6:00pm. With the generous support of EBC and the Winery of Ellicottville, the 19th annual tradition will see all proceeds from special beer and wine sales go to the Bob McCarthy Foundation’s programs. Brewmaster Dan Minner has created a special draft and the traditional McCarthy Irish Red to commemorate the legend at his event. Come hungry as the “Taste of Ireland” will feature special dishes served up by local restaurants: Katy’s (Guinness Irish Stew), Madigan’s (Guinness Mack & Cheese), The Silver Fox (Bangers & Mash, Villaggio (Pasta & Meatballs - no Irish here), and Dina’s (Tom’s Irish Cream Bread Pudding). Believe it or not, each of the food and bar items listed above can be enjoyed for a small donation of $5 each, with all proceeds helping the Bob McCarthy Foundation.
If that was not enough, the event held in EBC’s great beer hall kicks off at 6:00pm featuring an energetic live show from South Buffalo, Crikwater. Their up-tempo music conjures scenes of gritty, smokey Irish pubs, whiskey, pints of stout, and good craic. You will enjoy the multi-part vocal harmonies, engaging fiddle tunes, and intricate musicianship while chatting with old friends or browsing the extensive Irish Basket Raffle and silent or live auction items.
The Winery is sponsoring a champagne toast to Bob which will be kicked off by Asa on the Bagpipes with great Irish dancers. This will lead into the live auction which starts at 7:30pm and hosted by Brooks LeFeber. Brooks is a local legend and will surely entertain the crowd with a limited number of auction treasures which includes a special Bob McCarthy original along with a special coat rack from Ed Frederickson and a beautiful handcrafted bench from Sam Sheehy of the Winery. Sally and Michael Nickolson have donated their fabulous 2-bedroom Florida condo, and Hughey Dunn’s rustic table is always sought after by furniture dealers. All auction items are accompanied by a homemade pie or baked item, keeping with the long tradition.
A small Silent auction has been added this year with some great gifts for that special someone. The Irish basket raffle, which will be held in the upper room of the hall, is the creation of Erin Cornelius, Brooke Szpaicher, and Mila Clauss. All people attending can participate with many lucky winners taking home great gifts for a minimal donation (20 tickets for $20). Many local businesses have provided great seasonal gifts; you can get a sneak peek as many of the live auction items and Irish basket raffle items by going to the Foundation’s website at www.bobmccarthyfoundation.com/events. Admission to Irish Christmas is free! Come to just browse if you like, but I know you will be caught up in the excitement!
This fun event is always the holiday’s most talked about, reflecting the generosity and compassion of our tight-knit community as so many turn out to support the cause. Hosted by The Bob McCarthy Foundation, this event serves to raise funds for our main initiatives, which are Santa’s Workshop and the Sheriffs’ Santa Program. Proceeds also provide funding for our year-round family support services as we strive to level the playing field for those less fortunate in our community.
It was McCarthy who said, “I love doing Irish Christmas, which is a night of Irish magic. I don’t know how the magic gets there, but it just does. That’s the beauty of it!” Well last year’s event was indeed magical with overwhelming support from our community, kicking off the Bob McCarthy Foundation’s funding year with the largest proceeds in our 18 year history!
If you can’t attend Friday’s Irish Christmas, you can donate to the cause at www.bobmccarthyfoundation.com/donate or via the mail at McCarthy Foundation, PO Box 301, Ellicottville, NY 14731. A little goes a long way!
The evening will be a ton of fun for all! Bob always found a way to make the holidays magical… and this year it will be exceptional. Make sure you mark your calendar, as Friday, December 6th will be one you won’t want to miss!