photo by: Derek Redd

Mountaineer Brewfest board members present The House of the Carpenter with a $50,000 donation. Pictured are, from left, board members P.J. McDermott, Corey Albers and Mike Costanzo, board president Jeff Hayes, board member Jeff Yourkovich, the Rev. Bill Wendell, House of the Carpenter executive director, board member Adam Brothers and Rick Talasis of The House of the Carpenter.

WHEELING — The Mountaineer Brewfest has come a long way since its inception 11 years ago, but at its heart has always been a mission to help those who help others.

Since the first Brewfest, president and founder Jeff Hayes said the event has always raised money to help an Ohio Valley nonprofit organization. And as the event has grown, the donation has grown.

Brewfest board members announced Tuesday night that this year’s beneficiary, The House of the Carpenter, received $50,000.

That brings the total donations through the 11 years of the Brewfest to more than $320,000.

Hayes said there are many to thank for that milestone — the board members, the West Virginia craft brewers who show their wares each year, and especially the Ohio Valley community that has made Mountaineer Brewfest a signature summer event and a major benefactor for local nonprofits.

“The fact of how it’s grown over the years, how we’ve been able to progress, and how the local community has really adopted us and keeps coming back, it really speaks volumes of our community,” he said.

Through tips collected by Brewfest partner Circus Saints and Sinners, with matching donations, around $12,000 was raised in that category. The auction to “tap the firkin” to officially kick off the event netted $5,000. The festival itself netted more than $31,000 along with other smaller donations along the way.

The Rev. Bill Wendell, executive director of The House of the Carpenter, said this donation doesn’t just help the programs it already provides, like its backpack ministry to send Madison Elementary students home on the weekend with healthy food, tutoring programs and its food pantry. It also helps fund future projects.

Wendell offered the example of the organization’s upcoming “Next Steps” program, which helps at-risk high school seniors figure out their next steps into adulthood, be it the workforce or college.

“We’re really able to live our our mission statement, which is to serve the needs of today while building hope for tomorrow,” he said.