Brew & Stew is Saturday, March 16

CRESCO - Put on your emerald green best or zaniest St. Patrick’s Day costume and join Cresco’s F.I.T. Running Club as they host the ninth St. Patrick’s Day Brew & Stew 5K Fun Run/Walk or 15K bicycle ride Saturday, March 16.

As is customary, the day will be full of events including a St. Patrick’s Day Costume Contest, a Pub Crawl, the 5K Fun Run/Walk or 15K bicycle ride and an After- Race Party Brew.

The Fun Run/Walk is 3.1 miles on the streets of Cresco beginning at 5 p.m. by the Howard County Courthouse. The bicycle ride will either be a 15K or 8K route, depending upon weather and road conditions.

Complete a registration form or register online at: https://www.active.com/cresco-ia/running/distance-running-races/brew-and.... Make checks payable to: F.I.T. Running Club, 917 3rd Street West, Cresco, Iowa 52136. For continual updates on social media, follow the event on Twitter @brewNstew or on Facebook.

All runners, walkers and bicyclists assume their own responsibility for safety.  Both courses are on public streets open to traffic with volunteers to assist. Due to the nature of this event, participants are asked to bring along identification. All are required to sign a waiver to participate and anyone under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian present to sign the waiver. All bicycle riders must wear a helmet.

Packet pickup is at Burke Auction Service, 117 South Park Place, Cresco on Friday, March 15 from 4-6 p.m. and Saturday, March 16 from 1-4:45 p.m. Identification is required for those wishing to have brew. Trophies for first place overall male and female will be presented after the fun run. A raffle drawing of two $100 Cresco Bicycles gift certificates will be on hand for bicyclists.

The costume contest for the person and team wearing the most festive St. Patricks’ Day costume is $100 in Cresco Chamber Bucks (individual prize) and $200 in Cresco Chamber Bucks (team prize). 

 

 

 

 

Judging will take place from 1-4:45 p.m. by a celebrity panel from non-profit organizations. Costume contest winners will be announced at the start of the run/walk/bike event.

This year, a Pub Crawl will take place with a chance to win prizes. More details will be available at the race. Hosts are F.I.T. Running Club, Cresco Bicycles, The Pub on Elm, The M&M Lounge and South Side Bar & Grill.

The After-Race Party Brew will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. or while supplies last. Bib, ID and arm bands are required for a brew cup. Brew, snacks and music will take place at The Pub on Elm, The M&M Lounge and South Side Bar & Grill. Mulligan stew and music in a family-friendly environment will commence at Burke Auction Service.

Proceeds from the 2019 Brew & Stew go to the Cresco Fire Department and the Howard County volunteer EMS Association, whose purpose is to recruit, train, and maintain quality volunteer emergency medical service providers for residents of Howard County.

Brew & Stew organizer Brad Burke said, “Our EMS volunteers are often first on the scene to provide immediate care, to stabilize a patient until an ambulance arrives. The Association is currently lacking funds to train these First Responders that are so important to rural American areas. We are glad to give a portion of the proceeds to such a great cause.”

He adds, “Our local area and surrounding community business owners have been awesome in helping sponsor this event. We have four Over the Rainbow sponsors along with a large amount of Pot of Gold/Leprechaun and Shamrock Sponsors. Basically, our community rocks. For those who wish to help fund the cause but do not wish to participate in the events we also do appreciate any donations. They can be mailed to: F.I.T. Running Club, 917 3rd St West Cresco, Iowa 52136. Please note monies to go towards Brew & Stew Event recipients.”

Burke said the F.I.T. Running Club is planning more events coming up this spring.

“This spring we will be starting up bi-weekly social fun run/walks, most likely Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings,” he said. 

“Most of the time there are options on routes of one mile and up to four miles. There are usually members in the group training for long runs, so it is pretty easy to find a training partner for more mileage and different days. We encourage people to come to a few of our socials and check us out. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page at F.I.T. Running Club.”

F.I.T. Running Club of Cresco is an informal group of runners and walkers that represent F.I.T. (Friends in Training). The group is a non-profit organization that puts on Cresco’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Brew & Stew 5K Fun Run/walk or 15K bicycle ride. An individual does not have to be an official member to join and the organization welcomes beginners, intermediate and more advanced participants.