PHOTO PROVIDED Members of the Girlz in the Hoodie committee brainstormed with New Trail Brewing Company officials for the annual Flannels, Axes & Brews event which will benefit the non-profit this year. Left to right in the front, Hannah Summerson, tasting room manager at New Trail; Amber Nehls and Sabrina Mussare, both with Girlz in the Hoodie; Mike La Rosa, owner/brewer at New Trail; and Don Rieck, marketing director at New Trail. At the back are: Alyssa Vicars, graphic designer at New Trail; and Anthony Mussare and Samantha Barkauskas, both of Girlz in the Hoodie.

This year’s annual Flannels, Axes & Brews event at New Trail Brewing Co., 240 Arch St. will benefit Girlz in the Hoodie, a non-profit organization founded to give comforting and functional zip-up hoodies to those in treatment for breast cancer. They also offer scholarships to students whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer.

Girlz in the Hoodie is currently selling raffle tickets to fund the scholarship program. Prizes include a pink 1975 VW Kombi 23-window bus as well as large cash prizes. The drawing for the prizes will be during the event at New Trail Brewing on Oct. 26.

So far about 1,100 tickets have been sold.

“The goal is to sell out at 2,000. I don’t know if it will happen, but we’re happy where it’s at now,” said Anthony Mussare, one of the founders of the group.

The first prize winner can choose the bus or $50,000. Second prize is $20,000, third prize is $10,000, and fourth through thirteenth prizes are $1,000 each. Tickets are still available at the event, or at www.girlzinthehoodie.com. Winners do not need to be present to win.

“I think this last event is going to be huge, because we’re hoping to draw people in. The raffle itself is either $90,000 cash that’s given out that day, or if somebody picks the bus, the total value of the raffle goes up to like $120,000. It’s no small raffle,” he added.

The largest fundraising event for Girlz in the Hoodie has been the Duck Derby at the Trout Run Hotel on Labor Day which featured a rubber duck race down the stream on-site.

Girlz In The Hoodie began when Co-Founder Chrissy Heinbach, owner of Domer’s Bar & Grill, was telling her story of how cold the chemotherapy room was when she was receiving her treatments. She said “I needed a zip up hoodie, and didn’t own one!”

Chrissy recalled how the simplest gestures gave her so much comfort and how much a free zip up hoodie would have meant to her when she arrived for her first treatment. Treatment rooms are cold and patients need continual access to change bandage dressings and access ports. From here, the idea was born to give free zip-up hoodies to patients which will provide comfort, allow access, and keep warm.

After being in existence for three years, Girlz In The Hoodie evolved in 2019 to also grant college scholarships to graduating seniors who have a parent or guardian who has lost their life to breast cancer, or who is currently in the fight, or in remission. Girlz In The Hoodie has granted dozens of scholarships to local students and has since branched out to students in 12 states.

During New Trail’s Flannels, Axes & Brews event, one dollar of every beer sold will be donated to Girlz in the Hoodie.

“Girlz and the Hoodie and New Trail has a long standing personal and professional relationship between their businesses. Our businesses and families pretty much co-mingled and so it was a really natural fit for us to work together to make sure that we’re still supporting local families,” said Mike LaRosa, owner and brewer at New Trail.

The Hatchet House, of Williamsport, PA, will be donating their services with their mobile ax throwing lanes. Participants will have the chance to compete in a King of The Hill competition to best each other and win cash prizes while donating to the nonprofit. Non-competitive play will also be available.

There will also be a food truck festival during the event. Leonard’s Backyard Bistro, Cluckin’ Chicken, Mad Griller, all local vendors and Cousin’s Maine Lobster, a national brand, will all be on-site serving their specialties and donating a portion of sales to Girlz In The Hoodie.

Girlz In The Hoodie will also offer more opportunities to help raise funds that day.

New Trail Brewing Co. will be donating $1 of each pint sold during the day and a portion of sales from limited-edition labeled Crisp Lager 6-packs, available to-go, to the fund.

Live music will feature the band Daniel Miles & Happy Hour from 1 to 4 p.m.; DJ Class, a national musician of Baltimore, MD, will headline from 5 to 8 p.m.

A Kid’s Corner will be available all day featuring face painting, coloring pages and games. Properly supervised children are always welcome at the New Trail Tasting Room, according to a release from the group.