Mikerphone Brewing festival raises funds for Elk Grove charities

Mike Pallen, owner of Mikerphone Brewing, presented a check for $18,500 to the Community Character Coalition of Elk Grove at the village board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10.

The check represented the proceeds from Mikerphone's annual festival, "Smells Like a Beer Fest," which was held outside the brewery on Garlisch Drive in April 2019.

Over the past three years, this event has raised more than $50,000 for community organizations. Mikerphone initially approached the village about hosting a fundraising event on Garlisch Drive outside their brewery to raise money for local community organizations back in 2017, shortly after they opened for business.

The village agreed to partner with Mikerphone Brewing to co-sponsor the annual fundraising event, and each year it has expanded to allow for a bigger crowd and raise more money for charity.

In 2017, Mikerphone Brewing's craft beer festival was limited to 500 attendees and raised $10,000 to support the installation of the elevator at the Elk Grove Village VFW Hall.

In 2018, Mikerphone expanded the festival to 750 attendees and raised more than $17,000 for the Elk Grove Youth Committee to use toward college scholarships. This year's event included 1,000 attendees and raised a total of $26,000, which was split-shared between the Community Character Coalition, which received $18,500, and ChildServ, which received $7,500.

Due to the continued popularity of the event, Elk Grove Village and Mikerphone have agreed to move the 2020 festival to Rotary Green on Lions Drive to allow for additional capacity. Next year's event is set to take place May 2, 2020, and will accommodate 2,500 people, with the goal of raising $50,000 for the Kenneth Young Center and A Caring Place Respite program.

The village is proud to partner with Mikerphone Brewing on this annual event, and is grateful for their continued support of the community.

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