Question and Answer time with Happy Slapowitz's Toy Bash organizer, Ryan Eftink

What happened in 2001 that caused you to make a commitment to recruiting toys for kids at Christmas?
We wanted to have a Christmas party with our friends. My good friend, Davey, and I decided we’d make it a toy donation party. If you brought a toy to the party you could participate in the beverages and food that was provided, if not we asked for a cash donation. That first year at our house we had close to 100 people stop by… It was time to get a venue!

How did you come up with the name “Happy Slapowitz’s Toy Bash”?
We wanted something that gave tribute to the people that helped keep the event going. All the patrons of Rude Dog pub have always helped from the beginning and never asked for anything in return. That first year Mark and Todd wrote a check at the end of the night and gave cash from their tip jars to help. Another friend of ours, Nathan, brought several bags of toys to the event and one gentleman donates a bike every year. So I talked with my friends and decided to name it the “Happy Slapowitz’s Toy Bash” in honor of the unselfishness of the patrons of Rude Dog and the owners from that first year.  It is a name that means something to those that know it. 

What is your relation to Smokin’ Brothers?
Smokin Brothers is my family’s company. I have always been in charge of cooking the food for the event with help from a couple of friends. I am not into name recognition, and thought that it would help the cause if a business was named rather than a person. Smokin Brothers is a Seasoning, Sauce and Grill Manufacture Company. Double D Supply is the distributor for Smokin’ Brothers products. They provide all the supplies needed to cook from the seasonings, sauces and wood pellets, to, most importantly, the bbq grills used to cook the food.

What can we expect on this year’s menu?
We are cooking for all 8 bars this year. We’re providing pulled pork, BBQ baked beans, cole slaw and baked potato casserole. Food will be served before the bands take stage, from a 6-8pm, on December 11th.  

How do you buy tickets? What does it take to enter? 
The admission is a new unwrapped toy or a $10 cash donation at the door. ‘Bashers’ will receive a wristband to wear, allowing them to get into all locations for that one donation. If you purchased a t-shirt ahead of time, wear that and you’ll get in free.

What else is happening the evening of the 11th to support Toys for Tots
We’re having raffles for each bar that will be drawn at 12:30 at each location. Only 100 tickets will be sold at each bar for $5 apiece. It will be winner takes all. Each bar will have their own raffle box that will be given away, and the tickets can be purchased only at that bar that is giving that raffle away. The raffle boxes are made up of donations from our awesome sponsors. We’ll post on our FB page what each bar will have in their box.

New this year, we have one big prize to be raffled off. For a $20 entry you can win a Smokin Brothers BBQ grill valued at $900. Or, if you manage to make it to all eight venues and get your grill card punched at each location, you can enter for $10. The grill punch cards will be handed out at all venues, but Bel Air Bar and Grill will be where you can enter for the grill only. If you would like to purchase a chance to win the grill but are unable to attend, head over to Smokin Brothers at 1923 N. Kingshighway and enter there until Thursday, December 11th, at noon. We will be giving the grill away the following day on K103.

So you grew from changing the location from your home to Rude Dog to 8 pubs this year-is this correct?
We started in our home the first year and then quickly realized that it was too large of an event to have there. I’m good friends with the owners of Rude Dog Pub (Mark and Todd) and approached them about helping me out and having it at their location. The event changed from a Saturday night to a Thursday night. Also the free drinks went away, but we kept the food and added entertainment.

I have some good friends in several bands who came to help by donating their time. Jeremy Burford and Mike Renick were key contributors that first year at Rude Dog with their music connection.

That first year is when I got my right hand man on the cooking to start helping me, Kieth Seyer (Jr.).  2011 was the first year we added t-shirts and 2 other bars as well: Pour House & The Library. And this year we have committees helping with everything and we are an official 501C3! We also have had several businesses step forward and donate money and products to be given to the raffles.

We can’t wait for this year’s night - December 11th. 8 bars and 10 bands – don’t miss it!

'Like' our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on the latest Toy Bash information.

This post is written by guest blogger, Nicholle Hinkle, Director of Donor Relations at United Way of Southeast Missouri.

A little over three years ago (when my parents became empty-nesters), my dad started mentioning this thing called “craft beer.” I had never really heard of it, so I just assumed it was something that my parents were getting into since they didn’t have me around to entertain them anymore - ha! Little did I know at the time that this “craft beer” thing was actually becoming a new trend and thousands of people across the country were jumping on the bandwagon whether through taste-testing the products or brewing their own. How cool is that?

Well, if you’re a craft beer lover like my dad, you’ll be glad to know that United Way of Southeast Missouri is presenting an opportunity for you to taste-test over 60 craft and locally brewed beers right here in downtown Cape! That’s right – Boos & Microbrews will be held in conjunction with Hop Heads of Southeast Missouri and Bluff City Beer Co. on Saturday, October 25 from 2 to 6pm in the parking lot at Broadway & Main. Tickets are only $30 in advance or $35 the day of and can be purchased at United Way of Southeast Missouri, BOLD Marketing or Hubrew. However, you can also purchase tickets online by clicking here.

Your ticket gets you a tasting cup to sample the beers, a voting slip for your favorite beer, the opportunity to enjoy live music by the Jerry Ford Polka Band, entry into the Halloween costume contest, the chance to win raffle prizes, play games and so much more! Food will also be available for purchase from 2 Sides Grillin’.

As if I haven’t already provided enough good reasons to attend Boos & Microbrews, here are the Top 5 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer:

1 – It’s a hot topic. Like I mentioned, craft beer has become a rapidly growing trend in recent years. Craft beer + you drinking it = part of the cool club.

2 – The ingredients in the home-brewed beer will be fresh, carefully selected and of high quality. Our partners don’t brew anything but the best and these beverages are purely one of a kind and can’t be purchased in the store.

3 – Many people are referring to craft beer as the ‘new wine.’ Through the endless choices of flavors and styles of craft beer, there will always be an option to go with any meal…and 2 Sides Grillin will have plenty of options.

4 – The lager louts and bearded stereotypes have been well and truly quashed by the fresh, young and hip crowd that follows the movements of craft beer. Young fellows in trilbies sip pints with grey-haired strangers, women and men stand side-by-side, cups in hand. Welcome to beer equality.

5 – The people behind the craft beer possess an overwhelming degree of passion and love for what they do. It is brewed by local people, for local people, and often targeting a specific local area. Oh, and doing so will benefit your local United Way.

This post is written by guest blogger, Steven Amrhein, Intern at Old Town Cape.

I'll admit that I like to go out downtown every now and then. My nights usually begin pretty early though because I don't stay up too late. One thing that I've discovered in my senior year of college is that the bars downtown have a lot more to offer than just bottomless pitcher nights - they have music, and a lot of it!

The first band I ever heard perform downtown was Old School Hype, the house cover band for The Library. They play every Thursday night at 8 and normally take breaks during their show to chat with the audience. One night while listening to them play, I decided to strike up a conversation with their guitar player, Caleb, since I too am a guitarist. He told me that the band is pretty busy, playing over 250 shows since they formed in 2010, and have booked an additional 145 show this year! Caleb started playing the guitar when he was just 8 years old, and after a few years of improvement, he got together with his brother, Alex, and decided to start a band. Chris, the drummer, joined the band after meeting Alex through the Southeast Missouri State University music program, while Skyler, the bassist, joined after being introduced by a friend.

My biggest question was why they played so many shows in bars rather than branching out to venues, wineries, etc. Caleb explained that they play downtown so much because they enjoy the atmosphere and they feel right at home. However, the band is willing to contribute their service to local charitable causes by playing benefit shows when asked. "The best thing about playing locally is the decent following that we have. A few die hard fans come to every show and cheer us on," explained Caleb. During one show, Old School Hype rocked so hard that they threw a breaker in the middle of a song and the building's power went out! Their fan base is so great, though, that they kept the show going even when disaster struck.

The last thing Caleb left with me before I headed home for the night, besides to follow them on Facebook for upcoming shows, was a great story about the band's favorite memory of a show downtown. "One night while playing at The Library when 'Gone Girl' was being filmed, a few people from the movie came in while we were playing 'Feel Like Making Love' by Bad Company. Actress Lola Kirke, daughter of Bad Company's drummer, Simon Kirke, was amongst the crowd and danced away. After she returned home from shooting the movie, she sent us autographed pictures of the band and her as well as autographs from her father," said Caleb.

As I was walking down Main Street just about to wrap up my night, I heard hard rock music coming out of Rude Dog. I'm a huge fan of 90s rock and that grunge feel, so I figured I'd pop my head in and listen for a minute with a couple of friends. The band on stage was Seems Legit, one that I had never heard of. I only intended to stay for a few minutes, but the mix of rock, country, and blues kept my interest and I ended up staying until last call.

The band then began tearing down the stage and putting away their instruments, but I had the opportunity to have a quick chat with lead singer, Jason. Beyond my belief, he told me that Seems Legit had only played about 10 shows. I was shocked because their sound was so professional for being a newbie. "We take pride in good, tight sound and try to learn something new at every show," Jason explained.

I thanked Jason for his time and let the band finish packing up their equipment and began heading home. It was the first night since I turned 21 that I had stayed out until closing time, and I couldn't be happier. I met two great bands, made some new friends, and learned from aspiring musicians that one day will be headlining in St. Louis. Sign up for the What's Up Downtown weekly update to find out where Old School Hype and Seems Legit will play downtown next!