Three friends have come together for one cause–to beat cancer.
One is a brewer, one heads a non-profit foundation and one is an artist. Despite their different occupations, they’ve pooled their talents to raise money to end cancer through the creation of a special brew–Happy To Help, a strawberry blonde ale set to be brewed in the upcoming week and ready for consumption by month’s end.
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“We’ve been waiting on the malt,” said Adam Fulmer, head brewer at Savannah River Brewing Co. “We’re going to be brewing on Wednesday.”
Ian Mercier, president and chief executive officer of the Medical College of Georgia Foundation, initially talked with Fulmer around two years ago about the idea of developing a brew that could benefit Paceline, a cycling event, which donates 100 percent of its funds to the Georgia Cancer Center.
The twist came later when they asked longtime friend, Leonard Porkchop Zimmerman, to lend his Happy campaign to the project. Zimmerman, whose father died Dec. 2, 2020 of bile duct cancer, immediately agreed.
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As the three gathered at Savannah River Brewing Co., Saturday to talk about the launch and get a first peek at the brand-new packaging designed by Zimmerman, laughter ensued–the type of laugher that happens when three people who’ve known each other for more than three decades get together to reminisce.
They chatted about meeting.
Mercier and Zimmerman have known each other since they were about 10. The two are about six weeks apart in age. Zimmerman is 49, and Mercier is 48.
“Leonard and I hated each other when we were kids. One week, we were friends; the next week, we hated each other,” Mercier said.
They met at church and recalled their preteen years.
“We used to breakdance,” said Mercier.
“In parachute pants,” Zimmerman finished the sentence.
A few years later, Fulmer, who is eight years younger than Mercier and Zimmerman, came into the picture.
“Both guys are the two coolest people I’d ever met,” said Fulmer.
The three ended up having a bond through music.
“Leonard and I had a shared interest of Amy Grant,” he said.
But there were other bands they listened to.
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Mercier and Zimmerman would take their favorite songs and sample them on a Casio keyboard, adding in other chords. They recorded several cassette tapes with their music.
It was that type of bond that allowed Fulmer and Mercier to have the boldness to ask Zimmerman to lend his Happy brand to the fundraiser.
“If you have a superpower, you should use that superpower for good, and I think we have all done that,” Zimmerman said.
The brew will be a limited edition, according to Fulmer. While it will be distributed locally at restaurants and a few liquor stores, most of the brew will be sold through Savannah River Brewing Co. to maximize the amount of funds that can be raised. Selling it through a distributor takes some of those dollars away from the effort, he said.
The ale itself will be brewed with hops with hints of strawberries, making it lean to the sweet side rather than the bitter end. They will provide a nice aroma to the beverage, he said.
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Plans are in the works for a launch for the product on Aug. 28 in conjunction with a short ride leading up to the big Paceline cycling event in October, according to Martyn Jones, president of Paceline.
Jones said the collaboration on the brew exemplifies the sense of community involved in Paceline, and he’s looking forward to its launch.
Fulmer said it’s hard to gauge how much money will be raised and how long the brew will be around, but there’s a possibility it could return at a later date with the same purpose.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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