From our pal Jim Koch at Samuel Adams:
The Boston Marathon has been a cherished tradition in our hometown for more than 100 years. It is a unique athletic event. There is no winning or losing team. It is open to athletes from all countries, backgrounds genders and beliefs. Hundreds of thousands of greater Bostonians line the race route to cheer for the commitment and stamina of all the runners. It is also a celebration of the city of Boston, personal achievement and communal philanthropy.
Samuel Adams is a proud sponsor of the Boston Marathon. The race is a part of what it means to be a Bostonian and the holiday, Patriot’s Day, is a uniquely Massachusetts holiday which holds special meaning for us as Americans, Massachusetts residents, brewers of Samuel Adams and me personally. Patriot’s Day commemorates the beginning of the American Revolution led by Samuel Adams our namesake, a defender of liberty and revolutionary leader. It was also on this holiday in 1985 that I first delivered Samuel Adams to bars throughout Boston from my station wagon. I have always thought of Patriots Day as our holiday here at The Boston Beer Company.
Last week, however, we witnessed a series of tragic events and loss of human life. We were heartbroken by the human tragedies that unfolded throughout the week. Our thoughts and prayers go to the victims and families of those affected by Monday’s tragedy and during the pursuit and capture of two suspects Thursday and Friday. On Marathon Monday, nearly 70 of our Boston Beer team joined the ranks as runners and worked at events along the race course, and we are grateful that everyone from our team made it home safe and sound. Late on Friday, we raised a pint in thanks to all the first responders, medical staff, law enforcement officers and other agencies for the incredible teamwork displayed throughout the week. We all felt safer because of their efforts and the capture of the second suspect. It was a little over a mile from my house. My family and I slept well that night because of their efforts.
Now it’s time to heal and rebuild.
We feel a responsibility to help victims and support recovery efforts in our hometown. A day after the race, we announced that we will donate all profits from our limited release beer, Boston 26.2 Brew, brewed specially for the 2013 Boston Marathon and served at bars and restaurants along the race course and in Boston. We will also be contributing the donations we receive from visitors to our Boston Brewery for the month of April.
Those donations will go to The Greg Hill Foundation, which was established in June of 2010 with the purpose of responding to the immediate needs of local families that have been touched by tragedy. Greg and the Foundation are focused on helping the victims of the Marathon tragedy and have already provided financial support to nine families, who lost loved ones last week and to several other victims who are in the hospital. 100% of all donations from the Foundation go to help those in need. The restaurant and bar community have also joined with the Foundation, with more than 75 bars and restaurants contributing a portion of their profits from sales last week. I am proud to serve these small businesses as our customers and proud of how our industry has reacted to the needs of our community.
We’ve also heard from a number of friends from around the country, and from as far away as Japan – bar and restaurant owners, wholesalers and other brewers – who are holding fundraisers and providing donations to The Greg Hill Foundation, and ultimately the victims and their families.
Be sure to check back below as we’ll be providing a list of fundraising events around the country so that our drinkers who want to participate in their areas can do so.
To everyone who is sending their generous support and kind words, we thank you.
Cheers,
Jim
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