A Big Thank You To The Sports Pub From The 6th Graders of Copper Elementary~By Charity Maness
Copperopolis, CA...Over the years Micki and Larry, owners of the Sports Pub in Copperopolis, have been huge supporters seemingly every Copperopolis community project and fund that has come through town, from youth sports to blood drives. Over the summer Micki and Larry raised funds for the Copperopolis Elementary sixth grade science camp by putting on a youth chili-off and running 50/50 raffles. With their help approximately 4 children will be able to attend science camp this year...
In 1998 when Micki and Larry Phillips purchased the Sports Pub they took over a small wine and beer bar with a small but loyal local clientelle. With of
course some of their customers having children and Micki and Larry being great listeners, it began to feel as if they personally knew half the children in
Copperopolis. From there it was a natural progression for Micki and Larry to support these children they so loved. It started with t-ball and as the children
grew advanced to softball. Before long the Sports Pub became known as the sponsor a team wanted to have. would find themselves mysteriously treated
to a juicy pizza, courtesy of Micki and Larry.
When the kids grew the request to sponsor teams dwindled and Micki and Larry needed an outlet for their big hearts. Enter the food pantry. In the corner
of the pub one will always see a fifty five gallon drum accepting collections for the local food pantry. They have had some nights, ingeniously football
Mondays, where they nicely inform the customers of the "can for entry" rule. Meaning if you want to watch the big game on one of their multiple televisions
with surround sound and the great camaraderie you better bring a can of food. The patrons rallied around this idea and brought in not just a can or two,
but bags of food.
On a roll and realizing they have not only found a niche as a great local place to hang out and be with friends to play pool, darts, listen to music (live some
nights) watch a game or two, but also they have discovered this community has a huge heart. On their own and with the help of some of their clients they
have hosted car shows, chili cook offs, 50/50 raffles, cancer benefits, car shows, sear point race car benefit, all to benefit the local community.
They have raised funds for kids that couldn't afford to play sports, the Volunteer Fire Department, kids camp, multiple families in need, the Food Pantry, sixth grade science camp.
The latest fund raiser, and most definitely very close to their hearts, is the Poker Run on October 10th for Leslie Rabeneau. Micki and Larry (along with
most of the town) have known Leslie for years. Known her smile, her kindness, her warmth and her love for her family and friends. So when they found that Leslie was in need of a Bone Marrow transplant and would require hours of chemo and undergo painful procedures, they knew they needed to do
something. If you have ever known someone with cancer or suffering a debilitating disease, you know it is not only the 'victim' per say that suffers.
The amount of emotional stress on the spouse and children can sometimes be almost as painful. To relieve some of the financial stress on the family Micki and Larry decided to throw a multi community Poker Run to benefit Leslie and her wonderful family.
When I cornered Micki to ask her about all that she had done for the community, she dismissed my question with a wave of her hand and took no credit for all that she and Larry had done. "We feel so much a part of this community, we just want to give back." Being a bar can have its disadvantages when trying to raise funds for children, though the patrons are giving and charitable, society tends to mark them as a pariah. But Micki is well aware of that sentiment and says, "We do so much more than just serve drinks, we serve people." They are both active members of the Lions and CABA and their pub is a ECV watering hole. They have also recently generously offered the pub as a Post site for a VFW attempting to start in this town as Larry is a Veteran of a Foreign War.
