Regent Square event merges litter, fashion and craft beer — for good cause

While there are litter walks, fashion shows and craft beer parties, Allegheny Cleanways has combined all three for an event Saturday in Pittsburgh’s Regent Square.

The confab of events isn’t as unlikely as it seems.

Anyone who volunteers to pick up litter, especially in colder or wet weather, has to wear proper clothing. Then, after such hard work, a beer can hit the spot.

Allegheny Cleanways knows this to be true. The nonprofit has worked with nearly 17,000 volunteers to help their crews remove more than 5.4 million pounds of trash and 39,000 tires from area rivers and neighborhoods.

To jazz up the volunteer experience, Cleanways is partnering with 3 Rivers Outdoor Company, an independent store in Regent Square offering a range of outdoor equipment and clothing, and Cinderlands Beer Co., a local, family-owned and award-winning brewery.

Volunteers are asked to donate for their beer. The proceeds go to Allegheny Cleanways.

“The event is about raising awareness and funds for our cleanup programs,” said Amy O’Neill, development director for Allegheny Cleanways. “We also want to reach a broader audience and recruit more volunteers.”

Saturday’s litter walk and fashion show will begin at 10 a.m. with an hour-and-a-half litter cleanup in Regent Square. A tour guide will share historical and fun information about the funky Pittsburgh neighborhood. Volunteers then head back to 3 Rivers Outdoor to mingle and watch the outdoor apparel fashion show inside and outside the store from noon until 1 p.m. while they down a Cinderlands beer.

Registration on Allegheny Cleanways’ website is required for the litter walk.

The outdoor shop has a permanent beer tap to follow up its outdoor events. They partner with a new local brewery twice a year as they do a local outdoors-related nonprofit.

“Everybody loves beer,” said Sarah Carr, events and social media manager for the store. “When you have a beer in your hand, it’s a great way to pause and celebrate, say, your trail run. Lots of friendships are formed over a tasty beer.”

Enjoying a pint at the store also does something good, she said, with the donation for the pint benefiting a local nonprofit.