Students create senior class pub crawl for charity

Matthew Waxman, RC ‘17 and Kari Rawls, WC ‘18, have planned a pub crawl around the city of Richmond with a special twist for this year’s senior class at the University of Richmond.

The crawl, which will take place on March 25, will donate all the proceeds to Beyond Differences, a charity based in San Francisco. The organization partners with middle schools around the U.S. to help students that are feeling isolated, as well as offering workshops to help bring the students together.

The pub crawl will feature seven different restaurants and bars around the Fan district of Richmond: Postbellum, District 5, Foo Dog, Home Team Grill, Baja Bean Co., Bellytimber Tavern, and Goatocado. It will start at Postbellum at noon and end at District 5 around 5 p.m..

Kelsey Aiken, manager of Bellytimber Tavern, said she would support anything that brings together and benefits the Richmond community.

“It’s nice that this pub crawl is not about a bunch of adults drinking, but rather a nice send-off for the seniors,” Aiken said.

Although Waxman was inspired to organize the pub crawl for a project in his Innovation and Entrepreneurship class, a pub crawl around Richmond was something he has always wanted to create. He decided now would be the perfect opportunity to execute his idea while also bringing the current seniors together and giving back to charity.

“There is such a great food culture in Richmond that students don’t always get exposed to,” Waxman said.

The bars and restaurants will feature specials for Richmond students on the night of the crawl. Often, the Fan can be pricy for students and this is a way to explore the Richmond community while supporting local businesses.

The Baja Bean Co. was the first restaurant to commit to the event. Manager Jeff Allums met with Rawls and Waxman to discuss the direction they wanted to see the crawl go in as well as help them reach out to other restaurants and bars to participate.

“Nobody in Richmond needs a drunken bar crawl,” Allums said.

Even if it is for a good cause, Allums advised Rawls and Waxman that precautions still need to be taken. He encouraged the pair to focus on selecting a few bars instead of reaching out to every bar in the area.

“My friends and I are really excited to participate in the crawl, and the fact that we're making a contribution to charity at the same time feels great,” Eileen Creaser, WC '17, said.

The cost of the crawl is $20 and includes a t-shirt and wristband. 

University seniors can sign up to participate in the crawl here or by Venmo through @Matthew-Waxman.

Contact contributor Sarah Raymond at sarah.raymond@richmond.edu.