SPOKANE, Wash. — No-Li Brewhouse hosted a fundraiser Thursday evening to help Nuestras Raices after the nonprofit canceled its annual Tacos y Tequila festival over safety concerns.
Nuestras Raices canceled this year’s festival, citing safety concerns and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The festival typically raises around $70,000 for the organization’s programs.
“I like to say if we’re not gathering, we’re scattering,” said Jennifer Vigil, president of the board of directors for Nuestras Raices. “So the intentionality of coming together as a community in solidarity is everything. We need to continue our processes, we’re going to continue to serve the community.”
No-Li reached out immediately after the cancellation, offering to host a new fundraiser. The brewery made dozens of cases of Mexican lager for the original festival and sold those at the fundraising event.
“I think we need to pull together this time and keep the noise to the side and do great things for great people,” said John Bryant, owner of No-Li Brewhouse. “For No-Li and the brand of our community, this is what we’re supposed to do.”
No-Li presented a $4,400 check to Nuestras Raices. The funds will support the organization’s programs and help establish a new behavioral health center.
“Any time an organization like No-Li steps up and does something like this, they predict that we’ll have a donation of $4,400 today, so that’s significant,” Vigil said.
Nuestras Raices says its current behavioral health center can’t meet the demand for services in Spokane.
“The need is growing so we need to expand our space,” Vigil said. “We’re busting at the seams at our existing center so we need to find a build a space that’s going to suit the community and suit the needs of the community.”
The fundraising event featured live music performances. The brewery scheduled two live music sets, with performances at 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m.
“We have never done live music here except for an oompah band for our Oktoberfest, so this is a first-ever thing for us,” Bryant said.
Nuestras Raices plans to bring back the Tacos y Tequila festival next year.
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