There’s a familiar rhythm to most fundraisers in Pensacola — the chicken dinners, the silent auction paddle raises, the polished galas where the price of admission and the clusters of Instagram selfies signal who’s welcome and who isn’t. Two local creative businesses decided five years ago they were done with that script.
- Big Jerk Soda and Lensea Film launched Chump Change, a grassroots annual fundraiser built on a radical idea: that everyone—regardless of their bank account—deserves the dignity of giving back. This Saturday, March 7, they’re bringing that philosophy to Odd Colony Brewing in the form of a full-blown school carnival, running from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Problem with “Stuffy” Fundraisers
Most community fundraisers are well-intentioned. But Destyn of Lensea Film points to something that quietly undermines them.
- “We’ve been part of great fundraisers, but we often felt detached from the cause due to a lack of transparency,” he says. “Our goal is to connect small businesses directly to the source, removing administrative fees and grey areas. We want our community to see exactly where their money is going.”
That’s the engine behind Chump Change. No middlemen. No mystery. Just a direct line between local dollars and a local cause—and a party worth showing up to.
This Year’s Cause: Oakcrest Elementary’s Media Program
The 2026 edition of Chump Change has a clear, tangible mission: outfit the media program at Oakcrest Elementary with professional-grade equipment so students can produce their own morning news broadcast, the Eagle News show.
Why this matters: Oakcrest is not just any school. It’s the largest ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) center in Escambia County, serving one of the most diverse and economically challenged student populations in the region. The school’s Media Specialist, Cassie Hull, has been working to give those kids a voice. What they need now is the gear to amplify it.
- “There’s a misconception that our students are not capable because they come from poverty,” Principal Dawn Turley said. “They discount what our students can do. All of our kids are smart; they just need access.”
That word—access—is key. At Oakcrest, it means cameras, microphones, editing software, and the professional tools that students at wealthier schools take for granted.
- The students themselves sign off every Eagle News broadcast with a line that’s become something of a school motto: “Be a dreamer. Be fair. Be brilliant… You are so worth loving.” Chump Change wants to make sure they have everything they need to keep saying it.
What to Expect at the Carnival
This isn’t a sit-down gala. Odd Colony Brewing transforms Saturday into a playground of local flavor, with an event lineup that’s part fundraiser, part community celebration.
- The evening features the signature soda launch: Big Jerk Soda will debut a custom-crafted flavor created specifically for the event, alongside the premiere of a high-energy commercial produced by Lensea Film. Add in a full mini-carnival atmosphere, and you’ve got something that feels less like a charity event and more like the kind of neighborhood gathering Pensacola does best.
An impressive roster of local partners: Idle Reader Book Store, End of the Line Cafe, Itsa Cookie, Lousi, National Flight Academy, Whim Cotton Candy, and Graffiti Pizza. This is a cross-section of the city’s independent business community showing up for a school that needs them.
The Bigger Picture
What Big Jerk Soda and Lensea Film have built over five years is more than an annual party. It’s a proof of concept — evidence that small businesses can be the backbone of community philanthropy when given the right framework. No black tie required. No minimum donation. Just show up, spend a little chump change, and watch it turn into something that matters.
Chump Change: A School Carnival Fundraiser
? Odd Colony Brewing, 260 N. Palafox St.
? Saturday, March 7th | 5–7 p.m. ?
Benefiting the Oakcrest Elementary Media Program
For more on Oakcrest’s media program and what this fundraiser will make possible, watch the video at vimeo.com/1169380690.