DELAWARE

Dewey Stache Crawl raises $12,000 for charity

DelmarvaNow Staff Report

The Stache Crawl in Dewey Beach honors Kellen Poultney and raises money to help those in need.

A bar crawl started 11 years ago to honor a college student who died is still going strong, and this year raised $12,000 for local families in need.

The "Stache Crawl" took place Saturday, July 15, at Starboard Restaurant in Dewey Beach with hundreds in attendance, according to a news release from the restaurant.

Chad Minix organizes the event in memory of his friend Kellen James Poultney, who was described as a person with humility, an amazing sense of humor, and the kind of person who "lived out loud."

When Poultney died, 25 of his friends organized a bar crawl in his honor and grew out mustaches to commemorate Poultney.

After Kellen Poultney died in college, his friends organized a bar crawl in his memory.

The event draws about 800 people a year, according to the restaurant. Many participants grow elaborate mustaches, and others wear fake ones. They meet at the Starboard to pick up T-shirts and a list of participating bars. Prizes are given out for the best outfits, and proceeds are donated to the KJP Foundation, which helps those in need locally, according to the release.

"It's about honoring the memory of someone who was so loved, and about putting the 'fun' in 'fundraising,'" said Steve "Monty" Montgomery, owner of the Starboard.

Poultney's mother Connie Poultney says the foundation and the Stache Crawl are a way that his memory lives on, and that it has made the grief more bearable.

"Each year, I see Kel's smile in the face of the crawlers," she said.

The funds raised will be given through the foundation to help students get school supplies, provide before- and after-school care, help children afford sports camps and provide holiday gifts for families in need, the restaurant said.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit Stache Crawl on Facebook.