SweetWater Brewery is launching a campaign in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa throughout October called “Save the Black Warrior” (www.savetheblackwarrior.com) to help raise funds and awareness for Black Warrior Riverkeeper. SweetWater has run a very successful campaign in Atlanta with Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper called “Save the Hooch.” Funding raised through “Save the Black Warrior” will support Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s river patrol and water quality monitoring programs.
As part of the “Save the Black Warrior” campaign, participating local bars and businesses in the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa areas will be selling paper fish to their clientele for $1 and $5, as well as special edition t-shirts. Participating venues include: 5 Points Grill (Birmingham), Bottletree Café (Birmingham), Cosmo’s Pizza (Birmingham), Dave’s Pub (Birmingham), Innisfree (Birmingham), The J. Clyde (Birmingham), Jackson’s Bar and Bistro (Homewood), Jupiter Bar and Grill (Tuscaloosa), Mellow Mushroom (Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Hwy 280), Metro Bistro (Birmingham), On Tap Sports Café (Lakeview, Inverness, and Riverchase), Wilhagen’s Sports Pub (Tuscaloosa), and Zydeco (Birmingham).
Promotional materials for the campaign will emphasize that the Black Warrior River and its tributaries are threatened by pollution and overuse, and will offer five things individuals can do to protect this important water supply for Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. SweetWater will also be offering incentives for participating retailers to encourage their fundraising efforts through paper fish and shirt sales. Other supporters of this program include Alabama Small Boats, REI, and Whole Foods Market — host of three excellent Riverkeeper events in October.