When Cathy and Tim Hennessy opened Hennessy Cigar Co., Cathy said the couple did so with their eyes on community involvement.

“One of the things we really wanted to do with it was to be supportive of our community,” she said. “So we were looking to do local events.”

And so, on a quiet evening three years ago in their friend Tom Panei’s art studio, Hennessy said the idea for the annual Beer, Bourbon, Wine & Cigars event was born.

“We were sitting there in his studio smoking cigars, having a drink and talking,” she said. “Well, I knew Mary Chitwood (of Robin’s Home). She’s actually the cousin of some really good friends of ours, and that’s how we got to know her and to love what she’s doing for the community.”

Chitwood, executive director for Robin’s Home, said the organization and the event support some of the nation’s most marginalized veterans.

“We are a service-intensive, transitional housing program for women veterans and their children,” she said.

Hennessy said the trio was struck by “the value of what she’s doing for the community.”

“And so we decided we would do an event on her work,” she said. “This will be our third event. The first year we raised about $7,500. Last year we raised $12,500.

“This year, we’re hoping to do even better than that.”

The third annual Beer, Bourbon, Wine & Cigars event will be Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Anna Marie's Winery & Cafe, 790 East Butler Road in East Butler.

“The event funds themselves support what’s called ‘community integration’ for Robin’s Home,” Hennessy said.

With many of the women veterans served by Robin’s Home lacking ties to the community or coming from outside it entirely, according to Hennessy, the community integration program helps them build relationships locally and foster independence.

“And with the fact that Robin’s Home is also the only home that takes children as well, helping those moms build and find an independent home for their children is really important,” Hennessy said.

And outside of covering “inconsequential” costs for the event, she said proceeds go directly to the community outreach program.

“When we talked to Mary about doing this event, that was something that was very important to her and also very hard to find funds for,” Hennessy said.

Chitwood noted that about 20 veterans die by suicide a day, and that the community integration program helps provide social activities for women veterans.

“Things that we do in our lives that they don’t have the funds to do,” she said. “It could be going bowling, going to the movie, having lunch, having dinner.”

These activities, Chitwood said, help build coping skills to manage daily stressors.

“And they’re becoming part of our community,” she said. “They’re building rapport with each other to help get them out of isolation, help reduce some of those symptoms that they may experience due to the situation that they’re currently in.”

The event will run from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday with tickets available for $100 on the group’s Eventbrite page.

“Each ticket, you get a cigar when you enter the event,” Hennessy said. “Anna Marie’s is providing kind of heavy-appetizer food, which is included in the ticket. Then Missing Links Brewery will be there, and they’re giving away free samples of beer, and MLH Distillery will be there also giving out samples and with bottles for sale.”

The event also will feature live music performed by Tom Panei and Dave Zaccari.

“It’s not like a concert; it’s more of just kind of playing and having fun and background music,” Panei said. “The whole event is laid back, which is great.”

He said the evening functions more as a gathering than a formal dinner and that even though it is a fundraiser, “you kind of forget it's a fundraiser.”

“It’s more of an interactive, laid-back social event,” Panei said. “You just kind of get your drink, smoke some cigars and listen to music.”

Hennessy said the evening will also feature a number of silent auctions, including an event-specific painting by Panei.

“We put together a really nice, high-end cigar offering with a custom alder box,” she said.

The box, built by Drew Mooney’s custom woodworking shop, features graphics by Starr Graphics and Signs, as well as Panei’s painting for the event.

“They’ll get a box of cigars, a nice high-end bourbon from MLH, nice glasses,” Hennessy said. “And then we’ll have about another 20 baskets available. We’re doing a ‘stock the bar’ raffle, things like that.”

And all visitors who enjoy this quiet evening can do so knowing they’re supporting a good cause, according to Chitwood.

“It just shows the support for all women who served in the military, and it starts to give our women veterans a voice,” she said.

Chitwood thanked the organizers for their support of Robin’s Home and said she hopes the event continues to bring awareness to women veterans in the community and at large.

“I’m hoping that through this kind of work, we’ll start changing what the image of a veteran looks like,” she said. “It’s not always a man; there’s also women who served our country.”