Eat, Drink and Be Charitable: Fundraiser Held for Japan at Columbia Bar and Restaurant

A “Japan Aid” fundraiser at a Columbia bar and restaurant brought in nearly $1,200 for relief efforts in the disaster-stricken country.

The exact amount raised Sunday was $1,198.40, which is 20 percent of what the Frisco Taphouse and Brewery had in total sales for the day, according to Courtney Moon, a Columbia resident .

The money is going to the American Red Cross, she said.

“My husband and I have been glued to CNN ever since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and wanted to do something about it instead of just sitting on the couch shaking our heads,” Moon, 36, told Patch via email.

“Japan happened, and our 6-year-old had a lot of questions, including what people were doing to help them. When your kid approaches you with that kind of heavy – in addition to it being a teachable moment, it becomes a priority,” Moon said.

Her family initially organized a fundraiser at her son’s elementary school, St. John’s Parish Day School in Ellicott City. Kids there dressed in yellow and put donations in a box while on their way to class. That drive brought in more than $600 for the humanitarian work of nonprofit organization Episcopal Relief and Development.

The idea for the Frisco Taphouse fundraiser soon followed.

“We wanted it to be fun and intimate and a local thing where we could all just come together and do something positive,” Moon wrote. “It's Columbia, right? That's just how we roll.”

Restaurant owner Adam Carton said in an email to Moon that the event was “very well-received” and brought “a lot of first-timers here just for the fundraiser.”

Moon said she was happy that people came out on what was a beautiful weekend day and a day of the week in which restaurant business is typically slower.

“Of course, I would have liked to raise more,” she said.