Pipe-athon Blasts Alameda into 2017!

The 3rd Annual Alameda Hogmabay Pipe-athon was a great success, with Andy MacKay and Team Pipe-athon making their way around 17 bars on the Island City, to celebrate the incoming New Year and raise money for a great cause, the American Cancer Society.

Playing Auld Lang Syne in each bar, the Pipe-athon started in McGee’s on Park Street and ended at the 1400 Bar and Grill on Webster Street. The trip took just under two hours.

“Many people came out early on New Year’s Eve specially to see us” commented bagpiper Andy MacKay. “We even had a couple of lovely ladies who followed us all the way down Park Street in support!”

This year’s added twist was that the team, consisting of MacKay, Joe ‘Jake Blues’ Donohoe, Jamie ‘Elwood Blues’ Eckmier, Ken ‘Fittipaldi’ Johnson, and Rod ‘Tarantino’ Ortiz, all wore kilts for the occasion!

“We’d like to thank all the bars that allowed us to bring a bit of Scottish cheer to them”, MacKay said, “including McGee’s, Alameda Island Brewing Company, Speisekammer, Lemon Tree, Churchward, American Oak, Lost Weekend, Hobnob, Lucky 13, Club House, Z’s, The Swell Bar, Forbidden Island, Wally’s, Fireside, Shamrock and 1400 Bar and Grill.“

Donations are still welcome and can be made online to American Cancer Society at www.hogmabay.org.