INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — What’s more fun than dressing up as Santa and bar hopping?
Residents will have the opportunity to do so at a SantaCon pub crawl fundraising event that will take place Friday evening. Funds from SantaCon aim to benefit the Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition, said event organizer Richard Giessert.
“It’s a big event. Everybody dresses up as Santa and goes from bar to bar,” said Giessert, who will be dressed as the Elf-on-the-shelf. “It helps get people in the holiday spirit and supports a worthy cause.”
Residents don’t have to dress up as Santa, but can come in whatever costume they choose, Giessert said.
The event will start at the Kilted Mermaid from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., then will move to the Blue Agave from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. The last stop will be The Grove from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m, Giessert said.
Attendees can expect raffle prizes, a best dressed Santa costume contest and more. A $10 donation gives attendees 15 percent off of items at the bars, officials said.
The Healthy Start Coalition will host the 10th Annual Dancing with Vero’s Stars on May 12, 2018, at the Riverside Theater. The agency provides care, support and classes for mothers, babies and families, according to its website.
Giessert, who will be competing in this year’s competition with a professional dance partner, said the SantaCon is part of one of the many fundraisers his team will have leading up to the competition.
Dancers are expected to raise a minimum of $3,500 each to support the healthy start coalition. Each DWVS team is judged 50 percent on their fundraising efforts by community votes and 50 percent on their dancing skills from professional judges, Giessert said.
This year, there will be five men and five women competing as star dancers each with a professional dance partner. The star dancers and instructors will train for more than 20 hours for the next several months and gather community votes in advance of the competition, the website states.
Giessert said he is a Senior Business Banker with Wells Fargo. His wife, Shelly Adelle, was a star dancer in 2016, according to the DWVS site.
Times and locations for SantaCon Pub Walk
8 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday (Dec. 8), Kilted Mermaid, 1937 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach
9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday (Dec. 8), Blue Agave, 1979 14th Ave., Vero Beach
10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday (Dec. 8), The Grove, 2115 14th Ave. Vero Beach