Remember our “Spread Cheer With Beer” campaign last year? The one that explored the region’s craft beer scene while supporting the Alameda County Community Food Bank? If you weren’t able to attend, you missed out. But that doesn’t mean you should experience FOMO this year: The campaign is back.

For the second year of “Spread Cheer With Beer,” Visit Tri-Valley branched out and aided a different charity. This year, the campaign will benefit Sunflower Hill, a residential community for special needs adults that allows its residents to cultivate a supportive, independent lifestyle.

While this is a charitable excuse to drink, “Spread Cheer With Beer” is also a great opportunity for both residents and guests to explore Tri-Valley’s different breweries and towns. People from Pleasanton will want to go to Danville, people from Danville will want to drive to Livermore, and people from Livermore will want to head over to Dublin. If you follow the beer trail and collect stamps on your passport along the way, you’ll see that each of these towns has plenty to offer!

Grab Your Passport and Go

So how do you get in on the fun and help “Spread Cheer With Beer?” Download the Beer Trail Passport, and get going! There are participating breweries in each of Tri-Valley’s four towns for a total of 20 options. If you collect stamps at five of the locations on your passport and submit it to the Visit Tri-Valley team, you’ll not only be helping to give back to the community, but you’ll also win prizes.

But it’s not just the people drinking their way along the trail who enjoy this time of year. The brewers love it, too! Each of these breweries is a proud member of the Tri-Valley community and excited to benefit all of its residents. And besides the satisfaction of giving to a great organization, Visit Tri-Valley’s “ugly” sweaters have been a hit with every brewery along the way. When Visit Tri-Valley team members were recruiting breweries to participate in the trail this year, they had to run back to the car for more sweaters!

Giving to Charity While Having Fun

Sunflower Hill has also been a huge supporter of this campaign. Its enthusiasm and commitment has helped create a smooth partnership. As Visit Tri-Valley’s director of marketing and communications, Robin Fahr, put it, “Their mission is amazing. What they do and their commitment to their mission is infectious. We’re pleased to be working with a partner that’s doing some good things for our community.”

The Sunflower Hill team agrees. “This is an exciting collaboration — not only can you enjoy incredible places and have a beer, but you’re also spreading awareness about Sunflower Hill,” board of directors Vice President Tanya Ludden said.

For Sunflower Hill, an organization that’s proud to provide adults with special needs a community to call home and their family members peace of mind, the campaign has been nothing but beneficial. “We’re just so thankful our organization was chosen,” Ludden said.

There’s no shame in having a drink (or three) on a Saturday night, but why not make it a charitable event? Get 10 stamps on your passport before Jan. 31 to win prizes and benefit Sunflower Hill. And who knows? Maybe you’ll discover your new favorite Tri-Valley brewery along the way.