The 13th anniversary of Pub Mania, a major fundraising effort for the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, was a special one. Organizers honored a prolific fundraising champion with a scholarship in her name. 

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Dozens of participants packed the bar at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery before the barstool challenge's opening ceremony, where teams of 12 — most representing local businesses — compete hour-by-hour 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in a celebration of a year's worth of fundraising for the Children’s Auction. 

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This year, the event was particularly meaningful. Patrick’s Pub owners Jennifer and Allan Beetle, who also host Pub Mania, told a large crowd they’d created a scholarship to honor Judi Taggart, a longtime fundraiser who’s dedicated much of her life to supporting and uplifting Lakes Region children and families..

Patrick’s has awarded $500 scholarships to three employees in gratitude for hard work and in hopes for their bright futures.
 

The scholarships were awarded to Norah Dunleavy, Lily Lescarbeau and Elizabeth Muller, all of Laconia.\

Dunleavy has been a server at Patrick’s for the past three years. She is studying marketing at Endicott College and hopes to work for a major organization in sports or entertainment.
 

Dunleavy is known for her impeccable work ethic, attention to detail and willingness to help fellow servers when needed. Her reliability and calm demeanor under pressure position her as an integral part of the Patrick’s family....

Allan Beetle, owner of Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, has been in business for 26 years. Right now, however, he feels like he did when Patrick’s was a fledgling business.

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“It has that same level of excitement and that same level of stress,” Beetle said in a recent interview.

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Normally, Patrick’s business centers around dining in. During the summer, much of the business comes from patrons headed to concerts at the nearby Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. When the pandemic hit, Beetle and his brother and co-owner Jeff Beetle, knew that they needed to pivot to take-out and delivery, which normally comprises only 1% of their revenue. Now, they’re planning to make that change permanent, while also opening to limited on-site dining, following state regulations.

Organizers with the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction and Patrick’s Pub & Eatery are all set for another year of successful fundraising through Pub Mania.

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Pub Mania, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on  Thursday, Dec. 12, marks the 13th iteration of the event that challenges teams from the broader community to raise funds to support the Children’s Auction.​​

 

Held at Patrick's Pub, Allan Beetle, an owner of the popular eatery, came to the notion of holding a marathon-length barstool competition while participating in a “Cyclemania” event in 2006 or 2007. That fundraiser, organized by Tom and Laurie Oakley, challenged teams to ride stationary bicycles in order to raise charitable funds.​..

Pub Mania will make an energetic return this winter after a three-year hiatus.

 

The marathon party at Patrick’s Pub & Eatery for more than a decade raised huge sums for the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction — just over half its $600,000 total in 2019 — during the holiday season. But the pandemic, as well as the toll the event had come to take on organizers and bar staff, forced a pause on the festivities.

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“The fatigue of doing this event has subsided,” Patrick’s Pub owner Allan Beetle said Friday. “I think that for some teams, Pub Mania was a rallying point for them, and we've decided for that reason to bring it back.”