Todd Ruggere is a charity fundraiser who combines his love of the brew with concern for cancer. His strategy: Pound down a cold beer in every state and use the event to raise money to fight the disease.
Ruggere, of Boston, was in St. Paul last Saturday for his Minnesota leg of the journey. He was hosted by Half Time Rec, which opened its doors for an afternoon and evening of mingling, raffles, live music, a silent auction — and a chance to meet a guy with one of the quirkier fundraisers around.
"We raised about $2,500," said Ruggere, who took a year off from his job as a mutual fund manager to conduct his USA Pour Tour. The money will go to Regions Hospital's cancer center in St. Paul.
Ruggere began his "pour tour'' earlier this year, searching the Internet for "most popular bars" in each state, and sending e-mail blasts inviting them to host him. Results have been mixed. In some states, he gets a nibble right away. In others, it's like casting to the wind.
Minnesota, which is state number 25 on the list, was above average in its donations, he said. Many Southern states were not. States such as Ohio gave more than $7,000. One town in Connecticut — Ridgefield — set a record of $12,000.
"In Indiana, I couldn't find anyone [sponsor], so I just drove through and had a beer," he joked.
Ruggere, meanwhile, has a lean budget thanks to some funding from a benefactor.
Beer drinking for a cause is not new to Ruggere. In 2013, he drank a beer in each of Massachusetts' 351 towns, raising $40,000. Last year, he stopped in 169 towns in Connecticut, raising $50,000.
