Brewfest to benefit Carson City Rotary projects

Not only is Carson City’s Capital City Brewfest a great way to enjoy local craft beers, but it’s also a great way to help out the community.

Proceeds go toward the various service projects of the Rotary Club of Carson City, including a leadership camp for high school and middle school students as well as a scholarship program.

“Rotary is an international service club ... and at the local level we choose what we want to invest in,” said event organizer and former Rotary President Jim Gray. “Our club has strong support for the schools and youth.”

One of the programs the Rotary Club focuses on is its Scholar Stop scholarship for one Carson City high school student each year. The club awards a student $12,000 to continue higher education for four years.

For the scholarship recipients, the extra money means less financial stress during school and more time to focus on their studies.

“It was really helpful when I got to nursing school because it gave me the opportunity to learn more and focus on my work because I didn’t have to work as much,” said Morgan Tingle, one of the recipients.

With the scholarship, Tingle was able to pursue her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse. She’s currently working as a roving nurse at Carson Tahoe Hospital and is expected to graduate in May.

“I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 13,” Tingle said. “I loved babysitting and I enjoyed my anatomy and science classes at school so I decided (this career) encompassed all of my interests with my passions.”

She was at Western Nevada College for two years and earned her associate’s degree, before moving onto University of Nevada, Reno for her bachelor’s, all with the help from the Brewfest proceeds.

“I was really excited (to get the scholarship), it was generous,” Tingle said. “I knew it would help reach all of my goals and I wouldn’t have to worry about so much debt and student loans as I would have had without it.”

In addition to the scholarship, the club also uses the proceeds to send half a dozen juniors to a weeklong leadership camp and about 60 eighth grade students to a two-day leadership camp each year.

“It feels rewarding to give this opportunity to kids either with the ability to go to college or these programs to learn to be better citizens,” Gray said. “It feels good to know without Rotary Club, these opportunities may not be there for the children.”

For the high school students, to attend the leadership camp, they’re required to fill out an application, write an essay and go through an interview process to be chosen.

“We look at various criteria, such as what they have done in school, extra curricular activities such as leadership or service organizations,” Gray said. “We even try to identify some kids outside of that leadership circle to benefit from the camp so we can broaden the scope so it is not just centered on super achievers but also incorporates those who may not be excellent in school but exhibit leadership qualities.”

The Rotary Club of Carson City, as a kick off to summer, has hosted the event for several years, where more than two dozen breweries will line Carson and Curry Streets for patrons to enjoy beer, food, company and more. This year will also feature several food trucks and live music at McFadden Plaza.

The event will be Saturday June 9 from 4 to 9 p.m. in downtown Carson City.

Tickets for the Brewfest are $30 in advance and $35 at the door, and $5 for designated driver tickets. They can be purchased at www.visitcarsoncity.com or www.capitalcitybrewfest.com.