Folks prepare to ‘crawl for a cause’ down Sea Cliff Ave.

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Beat the mid-winter blues this Friday, Feb. 23, with great drink and pub grub during the 2018 Crawl for a Cause, sponsored by the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor.

Formerly sponsored by the Friends of Sea Cliff Beach committee, the Crawl for a Cause is an annual pub and restaurant crawl that started 10 years ago as a way to help promote village businesses and the beach in the dead of winter.

The coalition co-sponsored last year’s crawl with the beach committee before it disbanded, according to CSHH office manager Elaine Neice. The non-profit dedicates its services to identifying and eliminating environmental threats to Hempstead Harbor and surrounding water bodies.

“It was a good fit for us to take it over, so we could raise money and bring awareness to the community about the coalition,” Neice said. “You also get to support local businesses with a fun activity.”

The crawl before the storm will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. at CSHH’s office, 267 Sea Cliff Ave., where participants can purchase reusable mugs to carry to each bar and keep as a souvenir. Crawl time is from 7 p.m. to midnight. Crawlers can meet and make friends at K.C. Gallagher’s, Still Partners, Metropolitan Bistro and Oak Room Tavern. The fee is $30 and includes five tickets redeemable at local restaurants.

Neice called the crawl fun for all (legal) ages. “You see a real mix of people out at the same time, from 20-year-olds to 50- and 60-year-olds; it’s inclusive,” she said. “Also, within the last couple of years, we’ve seen an influx of people from well out of town attending, including groups from Queens and Great Neck.”

Neice said that one of the things that makes the crawl a success is the cooperation of the restaurateurs and bartenders. “The positive energy of the owners makes it work so well and makes it a good night even though it’s busy,” Neice said, reminding crawlers to tip their bartenders.

“We do it because we love to help a good cause,” said Still Partners owner Dan Roth. “It’s usually a really fun night; you have people getting out and using tickets to buy beers.”

The support from this year’s crawl will help CSHH continue its efforts to preserve and protect the harbor. “This event is great because there are some residents who don’t know about the coalition, and it’s a way to reacquaint people with the organization,” Neice added.