When it comes to money, college students have little to spare — unless it’s Thursday night at the bars in downtown San Luis Obispo.
That is what sparked the idea for “Beers for Books,” where people buy drinks for a different purpose: global literacy.
Held at Creeky Tiki Grill on May 17, the event was put on by a group of Cal Poly seniors who raised money through alcohol and raffle tickets purchased at The Network behind Creeky Tiki for Room to Read, an international non-profit organization that focuses on building school libraries and raising global literacy rates.
International business administration seniors and organizers of the event Bridget Zapata and Lori Bruton said the motivation for Beers for Books came from figuring out what people in a college town are going to spend money on.
“Alcohol,” Zabata said. “We say (we) don’t have money, but we’re always willing to spend on alcohol.”
Zapata and Bruton first decided to get involved with Room to Read while working on their senior project, the Global Networking Conference (GNC). The project was the collaborative work of 30 seniors who put on an all-day conference where global and local business professionals spoke at workshops about various business topics. One of those speakers was Room to Read’s university chapter coordinator Kim Vallejo.
Zapata said after hearing Vallejo speak, she started brainstorming ideas for a fundraiser that day. Bruton did the same.
“She really sparked our interest,” Bruton said. “But we’re all graduating seniors, so we figured we would just do this (event) for fun.”
Twenty percent of alcohol proceeds raised throughout the night were donated to Room to Read.
By the end of the night, “Beer for Books” raised $540, which was less than expected, Bruton said. “But after speaking with Kim (Vallejo), I realized it’s actually really great because all of the money was raised through drinks, not donations.”
The event was a success, Bruton said.
“It was fun; there were a lot of people there buying drinks and contributing,” Bruton said. “It shows you that Cal Poly is down to drink for a good cause.”
While patrons drank, various groups performed at The Network throughout the night, including choral group Take it SLO and a live DJ.
Cal Poly graduate Will Gondak also performed at the event with his band The Jam Den.
“I think (“Beer for Books”) is a good idea,” Gondak said. “I mean people are going to be getting drunk anyways, might as well get the cash flowing in the right direction.”
Toward the end of the night, the turnout slowed as the bands finished playing and others continued onto the other bars in downtown San Luis Obispo. Even so, using alcohol for a good cause “is fantastic,” economics senior Grigges Ziesing said. “It’s a great way to get people to come.”
Along with the “Beer for Books” event, textbook collection bins were placed throughout campus May 14 to 18.
The group has also received large donations from local stores. El Corral donated 500 textbooks, and San Luis Coastal Unified School District and SLO Textbooks donated as well.
Between the book drive and “Beer for Books,” Zapata and Bruton hoped to raise $5,000, funding a new school library in either an Asian or African country. Zapata estimated an actual amount of $2,500 raised.
“Either way, we’re just excited about anything,” Zapata said. “Even $100 gives you more books to stock a library and really does something.”