One of the coolest and most positive parts of the craft beer community is how beer lovers give back to society through amazing charity events. We were fortunate to attend a fantastic event a few weeks ago in Beacon, New York, at Hudson Valley Brewery: Melesa’s Wings, benefiting cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

The fundraiser was organized by Jose Manchola (@yankeerunner77) in honor of his mother Melesa, who passed away in 1995 from the disease. Manchola and some of his closest friends donated dozens and dozens of incredible bottles for the bottle share, which raised about $5,000!

The day started off with a toast of “Alight and Aloft on Angel’s Wings”, a super tasty, citrusy tart farmhouse ale brewed specially for the event by two upcoming New Jersey-based brewers: Mindful Ales and The Seed. Everyone loved it, along with all of the other beers and meads shared.

We know we’re looking forward to next year’s fundraiser, which we hope will be an even bigger success!

Check out some of the photos from the day below.