SURLY GIVES A DAMN

Surly Gives a Damn is the public-spirited side of Surly. 

 

Our mission is to “tap” the passion and good will shared amongst Surly Nation to give back and to support our community. We follow through with this mission in two ways; firstly with donations of Surly beer and swag to local businesses and charitable organizations in need. Secondly, we provide ongoing opportunities for our volunteers to participate in Service Projects throughout the year.

If you are looking for a donation, our donation request information can be found here.

 

Upcoming 2012 Service Projects

Starting in 2012 we will be issuing Surly Gives a Damn work shirts to all volunteers.  You will receive your shirt at your first project.  Once you have been issued a Surly Gives A Damn shirt, please wear it to all other SGAD events you volunteer for in 2012.  

For those of you wanting to volunteer for SurlyFest or Darkness Day, please note, you need to volunteer for a Surly Gives A Damn event to be invited to volunteer for our BIG events.

May 22nd-25th: Habitat for Humanity ~ A Brush with Kindness Program 

This volunteer event is FILLED!

This is one of our biggest projects to date and we will need all the help we can get.  The project is set for Tuesday, May 22nd-Friday, May 25th.  You can volunteer for one day or up to all four.  There are 25 openings each day.  Shifts are from 8:30 am - 4:00pm and we ask you work the full day.  

Our project is a 1 1/2 story home in Brooklyn Center.  We will prep and paint the exterior of the home and attached garage.  We will also be repairing the deteriorated wood on the carport.

How are we going to work our after project beer you ask?  All volunteers for this project will come back to the brewery Friday, May 25th from 6:00-8:00pm and have a THANK YOU beer on us! 

June 23rd:  U-Care City of Lakes Tri-Loppet- We will be hauling canoes and kayaks for folks coming off the lake and transitioning into their run.  Volunteer sign up will start on Friday, June 8th for this event.  

June 29th: MBC Blood Drive - SAVE THE DATE

The blood mobile will be back in action at the brewery on Friday, June 29th from 9:00am - 3:00pm.  

July 26th:  People Incorporated- On the evening of Thursday, July 26th (exact time TBD) we will be building a deck and walk way for one of the People Incorporated homes in Apple Valley.  There will be some demolition involved as well as some power tools used, who doesn't like that? We will need 40 folks to come on out and BUILD IT!  Volunteer sign up will be posted (here and FB) and begin on Tuesday, July 10th.

 December:  MBC Blood Drive - SAVE THE DATE

The blood mobile will be back in action at the brewery on Friday, December 28th from 9:00am - 3:00pm. 

 

2012 Service Projects

 

May 8th AND May 10th: The Greenway.  Over a two-day period of time 75 hard-core, buckthorn pulling, SGAD volunteers headed to our adopted Surly section of the Greenway (Chowen to Dean Parkway).  This was our first Greenway Back to Back and did we ever get a lot done.  Great job to everyone who came out to rid the Greenway of invasive plants, Buckthorn, Garlic Mustard & Burdock BE GONE!  I would also like to extend a BIG thank you to Burger Jones and My Burger for partnering with us on these events. 

 

April: Open Farms.  30 folks headed out to Belle Plaine in the wind and the rain from 9:00am-Noon to help get the farm ready for the 2012 growing season. We planted seedlings, lots of onions, made a couple low tunnels, built an irrigation system, made seedling pots and prepped the soil with hoes and shovels.  THANKS SGAD vols, great job and thanks to Buffalo Tap for partnering with us on this event!

March:  People Incorporated. 45 SGAD volunteers spent 2 1/2 hours painting the inside of the P2 house in Minneapolis on Saturday, March 10. Thank you for all your hard work and great job getting it all covered!  Also, thank you to  Buster's on 28th for partnering with us on this event!

February:  The Loppet x 2.  Wednesday, February 1st found 50 SGAD volunteers stuffing 4500 race packets for the City of Lakes Loppet race participants.  We stuffed-it in record heat and record time at Calhoun Square.  BIG thanks to  Chiang Mai Thai who partnered with us for our after beer gathering!

Saturday, February 4th found 35 of our amazing volunteers pouring beer at the Luminary Loppet Surly stop (yes, I said SURLY stop!) and at the Luminary Party.  Thanks to all of you for helping make Surly such a big part the Loppet's weekend of events and helping things run so smoothly.

January: We went back to our roots; EFN was Surly Gives a Damn's very first project!  We had 50 volunteers help out on Wednesday, January 18th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm sorting and packaging food for EFN.  We worked on four different projects that will serve over 4,000 folks in need.

A big thanks to each of you for coming out to the Emergency Foodshelf Network and working so hard.  A special note of thanks to the EFN crew for organizing us and to the 3 Squares Restaurant for partnering with us on this event and giving us a place to land after our work was done.

Way to kick off SGAD 2012. 

 

2011 Service Project Recap

In short, Surly Nation rocked 2011!

Here are the stats:  14 projects, 616 volunteers, 1,566 volunteer project hours and 15, 014 pounds of food donated through tours.  

Thanks to everyone who lended a hand this past year.

 

 Blood Drive

Surly and Memorial Center HOLIDAY Blood Drive happened on Thursday, December 29th from 9:00am-3:00pm at the brewery.  All donors received an empty Surly pint glass and had the chance to win a $25 Surly gift card.  Thank you all for giving of yourselves that last few days before the New Year.

 

 

Madison's Christmas Wish

Well done Surly Nation, you donated 175 toys to Madison's Christmas Wish toy drive in just two tours.  Madison's parents were able to bring your generous donation of new unused toys, gifts and gift cards to children in the hospital suffering from the diagnosis of cancer.  Thanks for making their holiday season brighter. 

 

Bridging

For this event we teamed up with Bridging on Wednesday, December 7 from 6:00-8:00pm.  50 of our SGAD volunteers processed, folded (rolled) and organized EVERY blanket they had in the Roseville warehouse (2500).  Those blankets were donated to Bridging from the Subway Blankets for Bridging Drive a few days prior.  A BIG thanks to Grumpy's in Roseville for partnering with us and hosting the SGAD volunteers after our work was done.

Great job volunteers!

 

 

Free Bikes 4 Kidz  

 

Great job Surly Gives a Damn volunteers!  

46 of our volunteers went out to the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center on Thursday, November 17th to help work on the Free Bikes 4 Kidz program. We fixed up and cleaned 50 + donated children's bikes. These bikes will now be given away (sometime mid December) to parents who would not otherwise be able to afford to buy their kids a bike for Christmas.  

Thanks to Nice Ride MN for helping organize all of us and to Old Chicago in Uptown who partnered with us and hosted our after work Surly.

 

 

Greenway Clean Up

 

On October 11th, 45 SGAD volunteers did a massive buckthorn extraction and got our section of the Greenway ready for the winter!  You all did an utterly amazing job!  

A BIG thank you to all our volunteers, to Rich Harrison for mapping out what was needed to be done and to Burger Jones in Uptown for generously partnering with us on this event, great job!

 

 

 

 

Ramsey House

 

On September 14th, 45 Surly volunteers came out to paint the exterior deck of the Ramsey House in St. Paul.  The Safe Haven Services - Ramsey House assists chronically homeless adults with a mental illness achieve their goals related to safety, stability and recovery.  

Thank you to all of our great volunteers and a special note of thanks to The Bulldog Lowertown for partnering with us on this event, it was the perfect place to land for our well deserved, after project, Surly.


  

363days.org

 

On July 10th, 20 of our Surly Tour Volunteers banded together to make sandwiches for 363days.org.  We set up shop in the brewery and were able to make 961 sandwiches in less than two hours.  Way to go!

 

Memorial Blood Center Blood Drive

 

On Friday, July 1st from 9:00-3:00 pm, right before the long holiday weekend, we had 63 folks registered to come on out and give blood.  We had a total of 52 units of blood donated!  Because blood can be broken down into three components: Plasma, Platelets and Red Blood Cells the 52 whole units donated at the drive can be used to have 156 lives.

Thank you Surly Nation for giving of yourself!

 

City of Lakes Tri Loppet

 

The City of Lakes Tri Loppet drew the LARGEST first time group of Surly Gives a Damn volunteers TO DATE!  Glad to have you on board folks.  We had 37 volunteers that helped out at the Tri Loppet on Saturday, June 25th.  The SGAD volunteers did everything from hauling canoes and kayaks, to setting up and tearing down snow fencing, manning the aide station right up the hill from Brownie Lake and even going above and beyond the call of duty to help tear down the finish line.  Great work to all.  

A special thanks to Rich Harrison for taking the lead on this heavy lifting service project and Kara Yanke for taking the lead at the Aide Station.  You guys rocked it out!

That cold keg of Surly at the finish line sure tasted good after this one.  Thanks again everyone.

 

 

Minneapolis Marathon

 

On Sunday, June 5th, 40 Surly Gives a Damn volunteers managed, cheered on runners, handed out water/powerade and had a whole lot of fun at our Surly water stop (miles 12.5 & 19.5).  

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to help.

 

Midtown Greeway Spring Clean Up

 

40 of our hardest working volunteers showed up at our adopted section of the Greenway on Wednesday, May 25th from 4:30 - 6:30 pm for a spring clean up and invasive weed whacking.

Thanks to all of you for your hard work and thanks to Burger Jones for having our motly crew in for beers after our really dirty work was done.

 

 

Feed My Starving Children

54 of our SGAD volunteers headed to Feed My Starving Children on Thursday, April 21 to pack meals for malnourished children in Haiti.  In the 1.5 hours that our group was there, we packaged up 43 boxes of food to be sent off, that equals 9288 meals.  That number of meals will feed 25 kids, a meal a day, for an entire year. Great job everyone!

Also, a big thanks to the staff at Old Chicago in Eden Prairie who so generously hosted our group after all our work was done.  

 

Emergency Foodshelf Network

On March 21, 2011, 50 SGAD volunteers went back to the Emergency Foodshelf Network where Surly Gives A Damn took flight just one short year ago.  

In the two hours that we were there, we helped over 7540 people in need.  We worked on and completed the following projects:  packing 314 pounds of produce, packing 749 pounds of Holiday Meal Boxes, sorting through 1623 pounds of donated food and packing 759 pounds of pasta.  

After our job was done, we headed over to the New Hope Cinema Grill to enjoy a viewing of Beerfest.  A BIG thank you to them for the generous donation of space and for covering everyone's admission to the movie!

And a special thanks to all of our SGAD volunteers, on yet another job well done!

 

City of Lakes Loppet Race Packet Stuffing

Thank you to the 35 SGAD volunteers who helped stuff 3,500 race packets on Thursday, February 3rd for the City of Lakes Loppet weekend of events.  The packet stuffing took place at the Theodore Wirth Park Chalet and was accomplished in record time by our very smart and efficient crew.  After our job was done we headed out to Papa's, who generously partnered with us for this event, for a Surly on the house!

Great job everyone!

 

Opportunity Center - Saturday, January 15th 2011 from 9:00am - 3:00 pm, 35 of our most tenacious Surly volunteers dug in deep to paint the entire basement of the Opportunity Center near downtown Minneapolis.  The Opportunity Center helps folks who are experiencing homelessness connect with resources that will help them move towards self-sufficiency.  

These volunteers got to work and got the job done, that includes A LOT of trim work and two coats of paint! 

Pizza Luce partnered with us at this event, delivering our crew donated pizza for lunch and a wonderful place to hang out after our work was done. 

Thank you volunteers for all your hard work.  Job well done!

 

2010 Service Project Recap

Last minute call for blood with Memorial Blood Center

We got the call that blood was needed for the Holiday season and Surly Nation answered that call.  On December 28th from noon - 4:00 pm, 50 amazing folks signed up to give blood at the brewery.  Thank you to all who gave of themselves to help someone else.  What a great way to end our first Surly Gives a Damn year!

 

Holidazzle Parade & EFN

On Saturday, December 18th, 45 of our amazing Surly volunteers met up to march in the Holidazzle Parade.  They helped gather canned goods and monetary donations for the Emergency Foodshelf Network, all of which will help those in need this Holiday Season.

Nice work volunteers.

 

Fall Midtown Greenway Clean Up

On Wednesday, September 29th, 40 hard working Surly Gives A Damn volunteers showed up, at our adopted section of the Greenway, to take our second swing of the year at all the Buckthorn and Burdock in the area. You would not believe the piles of invasive plant material that was extracted out of the earth. 

Great work volunteers, we thank you!

 

Surly Blood Drive

Surly and Memorial Blood Center teamed up for our first ever Give a Pint & Get a Pint (empty pint glass that is) Blood Drive on July 28th at the brewery.  We had an amazing turn out, for a first time drive, with 60 registered donors and 21 first time donors.  Collecting a total of 53 units of blood, saving 159 lives.

Special props go out to our first time blood donors (you know who you are) and many thanks to ALL OF YOU for donating your time and your blood.

 

Minneapolis Marathon

On Sunday, June 6th our Surly Volunteer Army took to the streets of Minneapolis to support the Minneapolis Marathon at the Surly water stop (stop #9) at miles 12.5 & 19.5.  Our 40 volunteers handed out water, powerade, bananas and oranges to the 1,148 runners.  They also doled out an immense amount of encouragement along the way.

 

Thank you to all the volunteers!

 

Midtown Greenway

Surly teamed up with the Midtown Greenway Coalition and adopted a section of the Greenway.  Adopting a portion of the Greenway allows us the opportunity to keep it beautiful twice a year. 

On April 20th, 50 of our very own volunteers, rolled up their sleeves and pitched in by picking up garbage, hand plucking invasive weeds such as Burdock, Motherwort and Garlic Mustard and even took to uprooting a tremendous amount of Buckthorn.  That was hard work, but well worth the effort!

Since we were so close to Earth Day we decided to see how many folks could walk, bike, carpool or take mass transit.  I am happy to report 95% of our participants went green! 

Way to go everyone.

 

Emergency Foodshelf Network

On March 3rd, with the help of 50 Surly loving volunteers, Surly Gives a Damn kicked off its very first service project!

We partnered with The Emergency Foodshelf Network to work on several different packing projects. In just two short hours, our volunteer army packed up over 700 boxes of food, sorted through 8808 pounds of donated food and then packed it all up for various food shelves.  We ended up serving 3387 folks in need, all in one night.

   

Have an idea for a Service Project?  Let us know about it and email us at surlygivesadamn@surlybrewing.com.