If you've ever wanted to design a can for a good cause, DC Brau and The Washington Blade are about to make your day, week, or life. For PRIDE this summer, DC Brau will be repackaging 200 cases of the Brau Pils as PRIDE PILS, and they’re teaming up with The Washington Blade to source the artwork for the cans from someone in the community. The PRIDE CAN DESIGN CONTEST kicked off yesterday. The deadline for design submissions is Friday, March 3rd at 11:59pm EST, and participants must be 21 years or older.

“DC Brau has always been a proud participant in PRIDE, whole-heartedly joining with DC’s LGBT community in solidarity,” says DC Brau’s CEO & co-founder Brandon Skall, via a press release. “We’re looking forward to raising the bar for this year’s celebration through this creative partnership with The Washington Blade.”

Approximately 200 cases of Brau Pils will be re-packaged as PRIDE PILS for distribution during PRIDE 2017 this June in Washington, DC. The winning can design will be chosen through a multi-step process that includes a period of public voting on the Blade’s website from March 13–24 to narrow the field down to three top contenders, one of which will ultimately work with DC Brau to finalize the artwork for production.

"The Washington Blade is excited to partner with DC Brau on this unique contest to showcase the LGBT community in a new and creative way," said Blade publisher Lynne Brown, via press release. “We can’t wait to see the designs the community submits to illustrate the feelings and sentiment in the current political environment." The Washington Blade was founded in 1969 and is known as the “newspaper of record” for the LGBT community both locally and nationally.

Proceeds from the sale of PRIDE PILS will benefit local LGBTQ youth empowerment program, SMYAL, and The Blade Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving the Blade's legacy while funding new enterprise journalism projects and encouraging the next generation of LGBT journalists.

Sponsorship

“It’s not just about producing world-class beer or marching in the parade for us,” says Mari Rodela, the brewery’s chief community and culture officer, via press release. “DC Brau also takes great pride in supporting and inspiring creativity and individuality while honoring and celebrating the rich diversity of our community. We can’t wait to see what designs people create for this opportunity!”