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Wait... are there going to be grilled cheese sandwiches too?!

I agree that Mr. Bickford is obligated shed some light this situation; clearly someone's integrity is in question.

There are laws and laws should be followed. When one wants to do something that initially contradicts such a law but finds a legal compromise so as to still operate within the law, this is not the same thing as violating the law even if it is not within the spirit of the law. I will state again that taking advantage of a legal loophole is not breaking the law. If you feel that the law needs be changed to prevent this kind of legal circumvention, approach your lawmakers and attempt to gain community support for amending the law. If the organizers have, in fact, broken the actual law then that must be addressed by the appropriate law enforcement.

Good points are raised on both sides and good points contribute to good debate.

You are correct that this is a choice that the adults in a community should make. I will stress that I say adults and not parents because it is important to remember that many of those who would enjoy such an event are not parents. I do not understand how you could characterize a beer tasting as an event where one would not normally expect alcohol. I would be surprised and disappointed if I were to attend a beer or wine tasting and not find alcohol. Is it necessary to attend an event like this with one's children? Certainly not. As I mentioned, I'm sure many of the attendees do not have children. Many may have adult children. Many may attend without their children. The article states that tickets are $20 (21 and older) and does not mention anywhere that children younger than 21 are even permitted. If that is the case, then the concern of underage drinking is moot, unless you are concerned about someone entering with a fake ID, in which case the problem is with the fake ID, not the event itself. There are many ways for adults (both parents and non-parents) to be role models. As a child I observed the adults in my family enjoying alcohol responsibly at social gatherings. As an adult, I exercise the same maturity and moderation. Thankfully, we live in a society that does not infringe upon most personal liberties because of the fear that one may abuse them. There are many examples of activities that are not necessary, could have negative consequences due one's inability to engage in them in a sensible way, but do make some people happy and it would be indefensible to ban these activities unless it were the will of the people to do so.

As far as the propriety of a local food pantry partnering with such an event, I believe that is at the discretion of the food pantry in much the same way that is at the discretion of your organization not to. With regards to your organization, it sounds like you are doing something positive and beneficial for these children. There should certainly be an article in the paper highlighting your initiatives and achievements. I do not think it should be within the context of this article.

I apologize if I gave the impression that I did not think that you knew how to have fun; I have no doubt that you do.

I would be surprised if most of the advocates of this event truly need alcohol to have fun. I would guess that most individuals who are alcoholics and not just fine beer enthusiasts would find other, more efficient ways to get drunk. I would also think there would also be easier ways for underage drinkers to obtain alcohol than attempting to get it at event like this, particularly if they would need a fake ID to enter. It is not a given that just because someone enjoys a particular thing, that they need it to enjoy themselves. I personally do not enjoy hot dogs but I would not disparage others for having a weenie roast or insinuate that they were incapable of enjoying themselves without hot dogs.