Originally posted by the Augusta Chronicle at https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/local/2021/08/26/savannah-river-brewing-georgia-medical-college-new-beer-cancer-research/5580973001/

Adam Fulmer is the head brewer at Savannah River Brewing Co. Ian Mercier is the president and CEO of Georgia Medical College. Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman is an accomplished artist. They are united by a lifelong friendship and an important cause.

“I’ve lost multiple family members to cancer,” Fulmer said.

“Last year, my dad passed away from complications of cancer,” Zimmerman said.

Mercier, who said he'd also lost his father the year before from other causes, added, “I have several family members currently in cancer remission.”

This was the inspiration for the new “Happy To Help” beer launching Saturday. Mercier first pitched the idea to Fulmer around 2018, but Savannah River Brewing had just opened and the timing wasn't right. Years later, Fulmer brought the idea back up, with one condition: They get Zimmerman to design the can.

Zimmerman is the creator of the “Happy” robot design that can found depicted around Augusta. He created the robot to put smiles on peoples’ faces for when times get tough. Versions of the robot have been made for Pride Month, Augusta's Ironman triathlon, International Happiness Day and more in the form of buttons and stickers given to whomever wants them. There was even a "Happy" light-up display at Lights of the South in Grovetown. In his short film "HAPPY: A Small Film with a Big Smile," Zimmerman said if that's the closest he ever gets to having his name in lights, he'll be fine.

But like a loving father with his child, Zimmerman is very protective of Happy.

“It’s not me being elitist or snobbish, but there’s certain topics that I don’t think Happy needs to be attached to,” he said. “I won’t let Happy go on anything political …things [that are] religious … somebody wanted me to do a Happy button to draw attention to infant death.”

While Zimmerman would also usually reject alcohol promotion, this was a special circumstance; in part because this is a limited-run beer and because of the cause.

”The profits [are] going to cancer research, so I don’t see that as a bad thing, I see that as a positive,” he said.

While “Porkchop” designed the can, Fulmer crafted the beer. He went with a strawberry blonde, and described the brew as fruit-forward and tart.

”You got a lot in the flavor and a lot in the nose,” Fulmer explained. “It’s nice warm-weather beer. It’s satiating, and I think it’s gonna go over very well.”

“They have two unique talents, and they’re giving their talents in a gracious way to this cause,” Mercier said. “I think all I can take credit for is coming up with the idea, but that’s not much. They really deserve all the credit.”

One thing, though, that Mercier provided was access to a nonprofit, Paceline Ride. The organization hosts bicycle riding events and 100% of the profits go to the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University. Last year, Paceline raised $200,000, which was granted to three areas of cancer research at the center. This year's Pace Day is set for Oct. 16.

The “Happy to Help” beer will be launching with a Paceline bike ride on Saturday, Aug. 28, at Savannah River Brewing Co. with ride check-ins at 9 a.m., rides starting at 9:30 a.m. and the beer being released at 1 p.m.