The Bourbon Christmas Party (BCP) is a place where men come together to help struggling families. Guns, bourbons and steaks are combined to make the event a night of celebration to raise funding for unexpecting households through games and raffles.
What began as a small get-together between friends has now blossomed into a fully registered nonprofit organization that raised just shy of $100,000 in 2023. This year, BCP will celebrate its fourth annual event on Saturday, Nov 16.
Kevin “Scooter” Rosier and Casey Moore were the masterminds behind the first-ever BCP, even before it had earned its name. Casey says the idea was first pitched by his mother-in-law as he was sitting at her kitchen table during Thanksgiving. After attending a women’s wine party, she pitched having a male-equivalent version of the event.
“I had just kind of gotten big into the bourbons,” Casey says. “I probably had 30 to 40 bottles at this time, and she had told me, ‘You should do a bourbon party for men.’ I said, ‘You know what?’ Just right there I picked up the phone and called Scooter.”
The first bourbon bash was held at Scooter’s house in 2021, and attendees were told to bring a gift-wrapped bottle of bourbon and a steak to cook later on in the evening. It started as a simple Facebook invite for friends to join in on the fun and participate in a white elephant gift exchange with bottles of bourbon.
Scooter and Casey say they decided to buy a 6.5 Precision Rifle Cartridge Deer Rifle to use as a prize for one of their 26 guests to win through raffle tickets sold at the event. This idea is how the small get-together developed into something even greater.
“We did not want to make any money,” Scooter says. “There was no intention [of making a profit]. We were just worried about being able to pay for the gun.”
What was intended to be a simple raffle game soon transformed into something that Scooter and Casey did not anticipate. At the end of the night, their raffle ticket earnings totaled a whopping $3,600; not only were they able to pay off the gun, but they also raised an extra $3,000.
“We didn’t want that [money] from our buddies,” Scooter says. “That’s not what it was about.”
Since Christmas was approaching, the two decided that they would give away the money to three families to help them through their holiday hardships, in particular, those who were “silently struggling.”
“[For example], Mom has lost her job and Dad’s working as hard as he can to make ends meet,” Casey says. “Those people don’t ask for help. They may need it more than the ones that ask for it, but they don’t ask for help.”
In the first year, Casey and Scooter were able to find the families they helped through their church. Although they do not advertise their mission, it spread quickly through word-of-mouth and people came to them asking to make the event even bigger. Before the second BCP, they met up with other men in the community who had experience helping others.
Now, Casey and Scooter have joined forces with other team members to run the rapidly growing nonprofit. The team includes Chairman Kevin (Scooter), Treasurer Casey, Secretary David Rosier, Director JT Fuller and Director David Thorne.
“We had dreams of eventually one day this being a nonprofit,” Scooter says. “It being something big. We had goals … where we’re at right now is where we thought we’d be in 10 years. It happened overnight.”
By year two, the event became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and 111 men attended the gathering. The growth was undeniable not only in the number of attendees but also in fundraising. The organization raised $34,500, helped 18 families and gave away 18 guns. However, this year, most of the guns were donated by businesses that partnered with BCP to support its efforts.
Now there are even bigger prizes to win like fishing trips, hunting trips and items like fishing poles and rifles. Participants can compete for them through live auctions and raffles. The event is invite-only, so guests can only attend if they know someone who has previously gone to the event and has asked them to come.
Members who attend the event can nominate a family they know are struggling financially. Then, the nominations are voted on by the board members of BCP. The chosen families will receive charitable donations from the members themselves.
Last year, the event grew even more raising just shy of $100,000. BCP has no plans of slowing down, and the venue is constantly changing to accommodate the growth. The team members are always looking for new partners who are interested in helping them donate to families.
“Our deal is no matter what we raise, if we can bless one family, we’re happy,” Casey says. “That is our goal … to change someone’s year right there at Christmas time and — whether it be one family or 100 families — we’re going to do everything we can possibly do to make that happen.”
For more information on the BCP organization and event, visit bourbonchristmasparty.com.
