By Rebecca Henely
If you go out to responsibly drink in Astoria next Saturday, five neighborhood residents ask that you give to those who have been displaced by Superstorm Sandy before you go.
The “Stand By N.Y. Team,” made up of Ashley Tavoularis, Stephanie Constantinou, Christina Giorgetti, Angela Meloni and Andrea Triantafillou, have organized a pub crawl among 13 bars in Astoria for Saturday, Nov. 17. For a $20 donation, those who participate in the “Drink Up to Dry Up!” crawl will get a bracelet that will entitle them to specials at the various bars.
The event begins at 2 p.m. and ends depending on the bar.
While Astoria residents suffered from downed trees and loss of power or cable in the wake of the deadly storm that hit the Northeast Oct. 29, the damage paled in comparison to the destruction seen in Queens communities like the Rockaways and Broad Channel. Tavoularis said she and her friends started the event Nov. 2 in an effort to assist those who were not as lucky.
“Astoria wasn’t hit too hard with the storm, so we didn’t want to sit back and not help out our neighboring communities,” she said.
They began approaching different bars around Astoria, asking them if they would participate in a pub crawl with proceeds going to help with storm recovery. Tavoularis said they found many who were eager to help.
“It’s really been an outpouring of support,” she said.
As of Tuesday, 174 people had signed up to participate on Facebook with 67 considering it.
“We’re really trying to make it a really big event,” Tavoularis said.
Bracelets can be bought at Gleason’s, at 33-08 Broadway, or Canz, at 40-11 30th Ave., starting Saturday at 2 p.m. T-shirts and rubber bracelets reading “Screw You to Sandy” can also be purchased at those locations with all profits going to help those displaced by the storm.
Other participating bars include Blackbird’s, Irish Rover, Veslo, Sweet Afton, Studio Square, William Hallet, Karaoke Shout, The Quays, Astoria Brewhouse, Shillelagh Tavern and Bud’s Ale House. Maps for these locations can also be picked up at Gleason’s and Canz. Some bars will also have donation jars for participants to give additional funds.
For more information, visit the event’s Web page at facebook.com/DrinkUpToDryUpNY or by e-mailing hurricanepubcrawl@gmail.com.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
