Hope Is A 4-Legged Word during Tacoma Beer Week 2025

*In their work together, Olaf and his dedicated handler, Kristen, aim to minimize stress for patients undergoing various procedures and treatments at MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.*

Hope Is A 4-Legged Word during Tacoma Beer Week 2025

Not all MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital medical professionals wear white coats. Some go to work wearing vests and leashes.

At Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, everyone adores Olaf – not the charming snowman from the movies, but their beloved 8-year-old facility dog who brings joy to the pediatric ward. He is a highly trained and certified facility dog who works closely with young patients, providing comfort and companionship. Olaf and his dedicated handler, Kristen Bishop, work together to minimize stress and anxiety for patients undergoing various procedures and treatments, making each visit brighter and more bearable.

Olaf could use some help! As part of Tacoma Beer Week 2025, NW Beverages, Peaks & Pints, and Great Notion Brewing will host a benefit to help support the facility dog program at Mary Bridge with an Olaf Coloring Contest, silent auction, and delicious beer from Great Notion Friday, March 7 at Peaks & Pints.

*You can learn more about Olaf and follow his adventures at instagram.com/marybridgefacilitydogs/. Photo credit: Kristen Bishop/Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital*

Olaf adds love and joy at Mary Bridge

Dogs have long been a source of comfort and companionship for humans. When things get ruff at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, staffers count on Olaf, the yellow Labrador Retriever, for comfort. Olaf is a facility dog who works with patients to help ease anxiety and provide comfort. When you walk into a patient room in the burn unit, and the nurses are huddled around a bed working on a small child who is frightened and hurting, and suddenly, the crying child sees Olaf and smiles, you immediately know that the animal is making a difference. Or the look of relief on a nurse who has just dealt with some awful injury and needs a few moments to gather herself and feel better by petting a dog.

To some, the idea of animal therapy may seem too simplistic. But that very simplicity is what makes it so powerful. Unlike human interaction, which is rife with conditions and complications, therapy dogs are pleased to have a new best friend. They’re loyal, devoted, and affectionate—man’s best friend. Petting a dog quickly reduced levels of stress hormones and linked the presence of a dog with decreased heart rate and blood pressure. All it takes to earn the trust and love of a dog is a scratch behind the ear and a coo: Who’s a good boy? You are. Yes, you are. It’s simple. It’s pleasant. That unconditional love from Olaf is a nice reprieve for someone struggling.

“Olaf offers a calming presence, a sense of joy and surprise, and a level of comfort that is unmatched by humans,” says Kristen Bishop, senior Certified Child Life Specialist at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Olaf’s dedicated handler. “In the midst of a stressful time for kids and families, Olaf is a differentiator in the care we provide. By resting his head on a teenager’s lap or listening to commands from a 4-year-old, he helps empower our patients to do the hard things they need to meet their healthcare goals. He is attentive and playful, just the right balance for our patients, their families, and even our staff needs each day.”

Olaf was explicitly bred and expertly trained by Canine Companions, a service dog organization based out of Northern California that has taught and placed service dogs for 50 years.

“Olaf spent two years in training, learning over 40 commands to do his work. I applied to get a facility dog to join me in my practice as a child life specialist,” adds Bishop. “After paper applications, phone and in-person interviews, and 18 months of waiting, Olaf and I were matched by Canine Companions to work together. My training was a two-week crash course of everything Olaf had learned over two years. I learned how to work with Olaf safely in a public environment, adapt his commands to the hospital setting, and learn lots about canine health and wellness.”

*Paul Reiter, center, co-owner of Great Notion Brewing, tells the brewery’s story on the Grit & Grain Podcast Episode 98.*

Great Notion brings unique beer

The flagship Great Notion location features a large outdoor beer garden for leashed, friendly dogs in the heart of the Alberta Arts District in Portland, Oregon. The popular brewery didn’t hesitate to help support Olaf. Great Notion Brewing will send specialty kegs for the Multicare Mary Bridge Children’s Facility Dog Program fundraiser. Their award-winning beer will consume the Peaks & Pints Western redcedar tap log, providing delicious sips while perusing the silent auction and coloring contest art on Friday, March 7.

In 2016, three neighbors opened Great Notion Brewing in Northeast Portland and opened the city’s eyes. Businessman Paul Reiter convinced his homebrewing neighbors James Dugan and Andy Miller to take their skills pro and freaked out the town known as Beervana with their New England-style IPAs and boundary-pushing culinary-style beers. The awards followed: World Beer Cup, GABF, Best of Craft Beer Awards, and Oregon Beer Awards, as well as the 2018 #1 IPA in America from Paste Magazine, Ripe IPA. Great Notion was the first Portland brewery to become known for hazies and the controversial style, and traditionalists hated it. Now, the traditionalists are all wearing Great Notion T-shirts. In addition to their hazy, fruit-forward IPAs, the brewery’s barrel program offers award-winning culinary sour ales aged for 9-24 months in oak barrels, with a portion of their sour ales blended with Oregon fruit and freshly emptied bourbon barrels age their imperial stouts on ingredients such as roasted coffee, vanilla beans, chocolate, and maple syrup. To dive deeper into Great Notion’s history, tune in to Grit & Grain Podcast Episode 98 to hear Paul Reiter tell the story.

Pouring It Forward

March is recognized as Child Life Month. Child Life Services, including ongoing support for Olaf and Mary Bridge’s facility dog program, is a donor-supported program that provides free support to patients and their siblings.

Since Tacoma Beer Week runs March 1-9, it’s an ideal time for Peaks & Pints to host a MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital Facility Dog Program with Great Notion Brewing fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 7. Proceeds from every tap pour will support Olaf and the growth of the Facility Dog Program. The night will also include a silent auction featuring items from local businesses, including Wag Pet Market, Lucky Dog Outfitters, H & L Produce, and Peaks & Pints, to name a few.

In addition to the draft proceeds and silent auction, people can support Child Life Services via a donation jar during the event. Individuals can also start a fundraiser of their own or give directly here.