ABOUT WHALES FOR WISHES
From 2015 to 2024, we raised enough money to grant 48 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
What started as Betsy's idea to raffle off a few bottles of rare beer turned into an annual bottle share and rare beer raffle that raised over $312,000 dollars for Make-A-Wish.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
"In 2015 I was nominated as an Honoree of the W.I.S.H. Society for Make-a-Wish® Central and Western North Carolina."
As an Honoree, I was tasked with raising $6,000 - the average cost of one child's Wish. I am extremely passionate about Make-a-Wish® due, in part, to the fact that in 2007 my son was granted a Wish through the foundation. I know what a difference that trip made to our family, and I want to give back so others can have the same experience.
One fundraising idea that I came up with was to raffle off 6 bottles of Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Company (we had a friend send us some fresh Pliny!). After talking with a few people about this idea, I was put in touch with Mark Iafrate from the Beer Exchange....
BETSY PENCE
W.I.S.H. Society Honoree & Wish Parent
THE START OF SOMETHING SPECIAL
On June 18, 2015 at 1:37 PM I received an email from Justin Moore titled “Introduction to Betsy Pence.”
Justin told me Betsy had been selected as part of the 2015 W.I.S.H Society and was working to raise $6,000 to grant a child’s wish. Being huge craft beer fans, Betsy and her husband Jim decided they were going to raffle off some bottles of the infamous Pliny The Elder from Russian River Brewing Company to help raise some of the money towards their goal. Justin had known me for some time through the local craft beer scene, and also knew I had started The Beer Exchange earlier in 2014. Soon as he heard of Betsy’s idea, Justin thought there may be a way we could all work together and put on a fun event to help raise some money for charity.
He couldn't have been more right. Betsy and I met over beers and set the wheels in motion for the first annual Whales for Wishes bottle share....
MARK IAFRATE
Co-Founder Whales for Wishes
WE WENT ALL IN
From 2015 to 2024 we raised over $312,000 for Make-A-Wish.
The first Whales for Wishes took place at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery on Sunday, July 26, and raised just over $500. Little did we all know that single introduction would give birth to an annual event that raised hundreds of thousand of dollars for Make-A-Wish, and helped grant 48 wishes to local children.
The Whales for Wishes Event Committee
BETSY PENCE
Event Planning & Fundraising
MARK IAFRATE
Planning, Fundraising, Marketing
JUSTIN MOORE
Design, Planning, Marketing
CHRIS WEBBER
Make-A-Wish Liaison, Event Planning
JIM PURVIS
Beer Sourcing
JESSICA LAMKIN MOORE
Event Planning
Betsy's Story
Learn more about the Pence's story and why Whales for Wishes exists today.
PAST EVENTS
Check Out The Past Events
2015
The inaugural Whales for Wishes was held on July 26, 2015 at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery.
2016
Olde Mecklenburg Brewery hosted us again in 2016 for the second annual W4W bottle share.
2017
The third annual Whales for Wishes was also held at OMB, and we raised just over $15,000 for Make-A-Wish.
2018
The 4th annual Whales for Wishes was hosted by Resident Culture Brewing Company. We set out to raise $18,000 and instead raised just over $25,000 for Make-A-Wish!
2019
The 5th annual Whales for Wishes was hosted at Resident Culture Brewing Company, and we raised just over $50,000 for Make-A-Wish!
2020
Despite having to cancel the in-person bottle share due to COVID-19, we still beat our goal and raised just over $117,000 for Make-A-Wish!
2021
For the second year we needed to keep Whales for Wishes as a virtual-only event. Despite not being able to meet in person, we were still able to raise just over $45,000 for Make-A-Wish!
2022
The 8th annual Whales for Wishes returned to an in-person format in 2022! Check out the in-person event recap and winners of the Online Rare Beer Raffle at the link below!
2023
The 9th annual Whales for Wishes took place at Resident Culture Brewing in Plaza Midwood on October 8! Check out the event recap including the 2023 Recap Video at the link below!
2024
The 10th and final Whales for Wishes took place at Resident Culture Brewing in Plaza Midwood on September 15, 2024! Check out the event recap at the link below!
Get involved.
Whether you want to become a sponsor or help us with planning or running the event, we would love to chat!