One glorified for a good cause, the other under stinky suspicion:
"Man having a beer in every Mass. town to benefit cancer research" by David Filipov | Globe Staff, March 10, 2013
MENDON — Todd Ruggere has set himself the task of drinking a beer in each of the 351 towns and cities in Massachusetts by the end of 2013. What started as a quixotic whim has taken on the overtones of a noble quest: At each stop he tries to nail down a donation for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute....
The Mass Beertour, as Ruggere calls it, was born in a simple trivia contest with a co-worker....
Aware that a beer tour, however well-intentioned, might strike some as irresponsible, Ruggere, a full-time employee of an investment firm, wants to make it clear that his odyssey is no drunken binge.
Okay, first of all I was thinking of the message it sends to kids. Then I considered the investment firm employment and thought to myself, "the guy is already getting drunk on cash." I guess I'd be hoisting a few, too.
He observes strict rules. If he is visiting more than one or two places, he will travel with a designated driver.
Yeah, that's always a fun job.
Someone from the town has to be present, and he has to have a photograph to prove he was there. He will not drink on public property or violate any other laws. When he is offered cash from patrons in pubs, he said, he has them give the money to the proprietor, who writes out a check to Dana-Farber.
Ruggere soon discovered that having a beer in every community is a lot more daunting than it might seem.
Why, he fall down drunk?
His trip to Plympton in January illustrated the complexity of his tour. He knew he would have trouble finding a pub. No restaurants have registered on the town website. Ruggere went knocking on doors, hoping to maybe have a drink with some sheep. Someone told him about a resident who keeps llamas. So he had his beer, and his picture taken,with a llama.
Ruggere’s initiative is not the first unusual gambit that, while not authorized by Dana-Farber, has benefited the institute and its patients. Pigeon races, a zucchini festival, and a tour of baseball stadiums are among the more exotic ways people have raised funds for the institute, said Molly McHale, Dana-Farber spokesperson.
“It is inspiring when people take initiative to raise money to support cancer research and care,” she said. “Todd’s very creative approach isn’t one that we would undertake ourselves, but we are grateful for his efforts, and wish him great success.”
That success will require a lot of creativity....
Bottoms up!
--more--"
And while hopping around my Sunday Globe:
"Marijuana cultivation center investigated
State officials say a cultivation center that supplies Maine’s largest operator of medical marijuana dispensaries is under investigation. The Kennebec Journal of Augusta reported the center in Auburn that grows marijuana for Wellness Connection of Maine’s four dispensaries is being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services. While confirming the investigation, department spokesman John Martins said he could not comment further on the matter, including whether law enforcement is involved. Wellness Connection executive director Becky DeKeuster calls the department’s action ‘‘a comprehensive regulatory inspection’’ of the cultivation center. She said there is no connection between the investigation and the closings of four of its medical marijuana dispensaries during the past week."
Maybe if they helped with cancer?
Related: The Greatest Story Never Told
California Scientists Say Marijuana Compound Cures Cancer
And yet it is so hard to get medical marijuana dispensaries legal and pot programs running. I can't imagine why that i$, can you? Almost drives one to drink.
