‘Oh my god you’re the beer guy’: Sheffield student fundraises by drinking a pint every day

We all know one down the pub does you good from time to time, but one Sheffield Hallam student has taken the magic of a pint to the next level.

Financial trading and investment management student Rory Mills has raised a whopping £1,171.50 for The OddBalls Foundation, the UK’s leading charity raising awareness of Testicular Cancer, all by drinking a pint a day around Sheffield.

This is all part of Sheffield’s Wilder Fight Night, a student boxing event that has participants raise money for a chosen charity.

Tonight, Friday 13th March, Rory and multiple other fighters will be facing each other in the ring at Forge Warehouse, after 12 weeks of both training and fundraising.

Rory sank a pint every day for seven weeks in total, uploading the videos to social media and amassing somewhat of a cult following on campus.

I spoke to Rory on day 37 of his fundraising journey, when he was sitting at around £700 raised for OddBalls and gearing up to down his 37th pint of… well, whatever’s about really.

He said: “Whatever’s around me I’ll drink. But I have done a couple, like, zero alcohol Guinness when I’m particularly hungover.

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A post shared by Rory Mills (@rory_h_mills_5)

The idea was born in the most predictable place, the pub, but has since got multiple other students involved. It started to spread the message to not be afraid of doing some good, and to have fun doing it.

Rory said: “I think someone dared me to down a pint anyway. One of my friends who’s been the guy who’s been filming everything, was like oh my god, we should do this thing.

“So the idea, I guess, is not taking it quite as seriously as everyone else.

“Obviously I’m still training as hard as I can be, but I don’t know, I think you gotta have some fun with it.”

Rory’s daily pint videos have become a campus success. Whilst initiating a sort of “ice bucked challenge-esque” chain reaction amongst the other fighters, the series has also resulted in some funny exchanges at university for the student.

“I’ve called a couple of people out and then they’ll do like their own video.

“Everyone loves the daily video, sometimes if I do a late one, they’ll be like, oh, when’s the video coming out?

“I’ve had people on campus being like, oh my god, you’re the pint guy. I’ve heard you’re the beer guy.”

These videos from Sheffield’s now resident “beer guy” have seen him knock a drink back out on West Street, while bowling, even one in Crookes Valley Park lake.

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Rory said: “Basically I’m trying to have a beer whatever I’m doing, like I’ll down one doing it. Anytime someone has a stupid idea, (laughing) I’ll just do it.

“So tonight is one of the biggest things I’ve organised so far. We’ve got everyone going down to [The Nursery Tavern], literally just as many people as I can get, and I believe they’re donating some money.

Ecclesall Road pub The Nursery Tavern ended up donating £150 from the event, with over 20 people showing up to down a pint alongside Rory for the cause.

That donation pushed Rory into the £1000 mark, confirming his top spot at the top of Fight Nights fundraiser leader board.

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Wilder Fight Night was established in 2021 at the University of Durham, and now runs student boxing events at multiple universities throughout Britain.

They provide six to eight weeks of training prior to their fighters battling it out in the ring at a black-tie event, all to raise money for a chosen cause.

The organisation has raised over £700,000 for multiple charities including their national charity partner The OddBalls Foundation.

On how he’s feeling for the actual fight, Rory said “Really good, to be fair. My fitness has gone up absolutely loads.

“I wouldn’t say the pints have stopped me, (laughing) you can out-train them.”

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While the outcome of tonight’s fight remains unknown, it’s a definite that Rory’s fundraising ideas, however “stupid” they might have been, will do a lot of good for The Oddballs Foundation.

Here’s to hoping he’s as good in the ring as he is at downing pints, cheers!

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Featured image via Rory Mills