By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
St. Thomas More’s Bourbon, Bags ‘n Brews fundraiser returns for the second year after a resounding success the first year.
During the inaugural year, more than $6,000 was raised to support the expansion of the church’s outreach and ministry programs, including the Bible studies that serve nearly 500 students.
The 2026 event, slated for Friday, Feb. 6, at the Veterans Memorial Building in Bowling Green City Park, offers “an evening of fun, fellowship and surprises as we raffle special bottles of bourbon and designer handbags,” said Lorena Perez, business manager of the university parish.
This year’s event includes more prizes, more games, and new food and beverage vendors, said Martin Vasquez, development director for the parish.
There will be 20 bags and 20 bourbons, up from 16 the previous year, a return of the wine pull, and six games instead of four of the crowd favorite, “Heads and Tails.”
The premium bourbons are specially selected by Perez and her husband.
Among the purses this year are “a little green vintage Coach bag and a Coach briefcase for the guys,” Perez said.
They also have bags by Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Portland Leather, Dooney & Bourke, and Howl + Hide out of Indianapolis.
The big raffle prizes this year include a baseball-themed basket with Field of Dreams bourbon, Toledo Mud Hens swag and a Louisville Slugger mini bat, and an LL Bean travel tote with two Owala water bottles and a travel book for great sights in America.
“There’s something for everybody this year,” Vasquez said.
“It’s a great chance to win a bag you may not normally buy for yourself or a nice bottle of boubon that you don’t want to get up and stand in line at five o’clock in theory like we do, Perez said. “My husband and I are the ones who stand in line for these bottles.”
“We’ve increased the chances of winning, but yet we’ve kept the event the same size,” Perez added.
Vendors this year include Blue Moose Barbecue serving smoked pulled pork, beef brisket and macaroni and cheese, Myla Marcus Winery, Arlyn’s Good Beer, and Open Door Bakery.
The doors open at 5 p.m., with the cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m. and raffles at 7 p.m.
The Flight of Ohio returns this year at 5:30 p.m. Locally created bourbons will be featured for an additional opportunity of bourbon tasting. “We’ve curated the bourbons for the Flight of Ohio so it’s maybe not so overwhelming,” Perez said.
The 21 and over event costs $50 per person, which entitles each guest to two free drink tickets and the dinner meal. Tickets can be purchased online at givebutter.com/TripleB2026 or in person at the parish office, 425 Thurstin Ave., Bowling Green, weekdays between 1 and 5 p.m.
Last year, during one of the Heads and Tails games, an Oceans bourbon was the prize.
The Oceans company puts barrels of bourbon onto a ship and takes them to different sections of the continent to age, giving them “different ocean tastes,” Vasquez said.
The crowd was “handing over their dollars to join in, and someone started singing the theme song of ‘Spongebob Squarepants’ during that gam. Everyone started singing and became fully engaged in the event,” he said.
Many of the students who are 21 and older are actively involved in volunteering for the event. They help at the bar, selling raffle tickets and engaging with the guests.
Evelyn Smits, a hospitality major at the university, joined the event committee and helped organize many of the details and gathered other student volunteers, since many of last year’s students had graduated.
The students are eager to help because they know the funds raised from the event support the work of the ministry, providing the students with holistic support, fostering their spiritual, personal and professional development in a tangible way, Vasquez said.
According to Perez, last year’s event attracted a diverse crowd, ranging in age from 21 to over 80, including students, alumni, community members, and non-Catholics. “Because it tied everybody from different ages and different towns, everyone was drawn in and had a great time,” she said. At the end of the event last year, she asked if they had fun and wanted the event to return in 2026, she was met with a resounding “Yes!”
Community engagement is an important reason for hosting the event, she said. “We see it as a bridge connecting students, current and alumni parishioners, and the broader community,” she said.
“It’s a great night out if somebody wants to do their Valentine’s a week early,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to have a nice dinner, a nice night out, and have some fun together.”
