By Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Nov 17, 2009 at 8:01 AM

Although there's really no good reason it shouldn't exist the entire year through, the annual "season of giving" is just ahead.

Perhaps it's the cold weather, the added spirit of the holidays or all those bonus days off of work, but people tend to get extra jolly this time of year and embrace the nature of sharing and giving.

But, if you need an extra push, here you go:

Wednesday night's Tweetup at the Milwaukee Ale House, 233 N. Water St., will offer half-priced beer from 6 to 9 p.m. for all who show up bearing gifts. Not gifts for your fellow Twitterverse inhabitants, but for kids in need this winter.

In association with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Ale House is collecting coats, hats, gloves, scarves and other winter gear to help families combat the coming cold months.

Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com

OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.

As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”