Five years ago, Pete Ruggieri had an epiphany while drinking with friends wearing Santa suits at a York city bar.

He could recreate the Santa Stumble — basically, a holiday-themed pub crawl — in Lancaster, and he could make it mean something more than a cup of Christmas cheer.

“We had a couple hundred people RSVPing that first year,” he says. “So I thought, ‘Let’s involve a charity in this, since it’s Christmas.’ ”

He and a few pals gave it some thought, he says, and decided to raise funds for mounted and K-9 units of Lancaster city police — neither of which receives taxpayer support.

“We figured it was a good choice because we were holding our event downtown ... although we hopefully wouldn’t be inconveniencing them,” Ruggieri, sporting a truly hideous green Christmas sweater and the sparse beginnings of a Santa Claus beard, says.

“We’ve had no problems at the event,” he adds. “But we do make (the police) aware of it every year, when it’s going to happen and where it’s going to happen.”

The Stumble this year is on Dec. 13. A participant button costs $10, up from $5, Ruggieri says. A $30 contribution buys a Santa Stumble scarf; people who wear them are eligible for food specials and free admission to participating music venues.

The event has grown since its inception in 2009, when about 100 people participated. Last year, Ruggieri says, more than 800 people bought event buttons.

That means more money for the Lancaster Police Foundation, which provides a budget for the mounted and K-9 divisions.

In 2009, he says, they raised about $1,000. In subsequent years, that figure increased to $3,000, $5,000, $8,000 and $8,500.

This year, organizers are shooting for $10,000.

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They’re also limiting participants to 500, Ruggieri says, to keep the Stumble under control.

“We don’t want our numbers to keep increasing,” he says. “We don’t want a riot.

“Besides, it’s a bit overwhelming for the bars that participate. Even a small pub crawl, where you bring in 50 people at a time, can be overwhelming.”

Even so, he notes, this isn’t a typical crawl, where everyone moves en masse from one watering hole to the next. Rather, he says, people collect their button or scarf — in advance, or that night at Tellus360, 24 E. King St. — and head to any establishment on the list.

To discourage people from drinking and driving, Ruggieri says the pubs are all within walking distance downtown. Also, he says, discounted rooms are available at Hotel Lancaster, and reduced fares will be offered by at least one local cab company.

Food trucks will provide hungry revelers with sustenance along the way.

City police Lt. Tim Frey notes that funds raised from the event help keep the mounted and K-9 units alive.

“We’re not sitting on a gold mine,” Frey says. “Any money that we get, whether it’s from the Santa Stumble or any other fundraiser, goes toward the care and maintenance of our horses and canines.

“Whatever comes in from that event ... is appreciated, and it’s money well spent.”

For more information, visit the lancastersantastumble.com website.