Yuengling in Pottsville pledges $100,000 to hospitality workers and first responders fighting COVID-19
From a press release:
This week, D.G. Yuengling & Son in Pottsville announced a commitment of $100,000 to provide Americans relief during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Through initial donations, Yuengling will support the Gary Sinise Foundation and its Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service campaign to assist individuals on the front lines of fighting the coronavirus. Yuengling is also a founding donor of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association’s newly established Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania fund, which supports hospitality workers, including restaurant staff, servers, and bartenders, who have been financially impacted by the pandemic.
“As America’s oldest brewery, for nearly 200 years, we have survived a number of highs and lows throughout our nation’s history. We have learned that the best way to get through tough times is to stick together and support one another. We firmly believe in these efforts to assist our communities as they grapple with the unprecedented impact of COVID-19,” said Wendy Yuengling, Chief Administrative Officer and sixth generation family member at D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc.
“We are proud to work alongside nonprofit partners who are able to support heroes on the front lines and our communities in need, including the Gary Sinise Foundation and HARP. Together, we will overcome this challenge and come out stronger and more united than ever.”
Yuengling is donating to the Gary Sinise Foundation’s dedicated campaign called the Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service, which will go exclusively towards providing grants to first responders within Yuengling’s 22-state footprint. The grants will assist first responders, especially those within volunteer organizations that have limited resources, in purchasing personal protective equipment and essential gear needed when answering COVID-19 service calls. Through the Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service, financial assistance is also available to healthcare professionals, service members, veterans, first responders, and their families who have been impacted by the novel coronavirus.
“Through the tremendous support and generosity of Yuengling, we are honored to help first responders battling this historic pandemic,” said Elizabeth Fields, COO of the Gary Sinise Foundation.
“Just as our first responders and all of those on the front lines are working so hard to protect us, we want to do everything we can to protect and support them. The Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service is an extension of the Gary Sinise Foundation’s mission to serve and protect those who so bravely protect our nation, 365 days a year.”
Yuengling will match donations made to the Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service, dollar for dollar, up to $45,000. Double the impact by making a donation at donate.garysinisefoundation.org/yuengling.
As part of its COVID-19 relief efforts, Yuengling also places importance on helping communities within its home state of Pennsylvania. In partnership with PRLA, Yuengling is a founding donor of the HARP fund, which will provide immediate emergency funding to front line employees of Pennsylvania’s hospitality businesses, bartenders, servers, and waitstaff who are experiencing significant hardships due to the abrupt closure of their bars, restaurants, and hotels. For consumers interested in helping, donations can be made directly to HARP by visiting prla.org/harp.html.
“We are profoundly grateful to Yuengling for quickly stepping in as a founding sponsor of Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania (HARP). Pennsylvania’s hospitality industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and our employees are experiencing significant hardships as a result,” said John Longstreet, PRLA president and CEO.
“HARP was created to swiftly provide financial assistance to those individuals who have been impacted COVID-19.”
During this public health emergency, Yuengling will continue to work closely with its employees, stakeholders, and community partners to help support those in most need. Yuengling is also coordinating with its brand ambassadors, including country singers Lauren Alaina and Cliff Cody, professional soccer player Rose Lavelle, celebrity chef Kelsey Barnard Clark, and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, to support additional community COVID-19 relief efforts and to engage consumers who are staying safe at home. For more information about Yuengling’s COVID-19 relief efforts and how to donate, visit yuengling.com/covid19relief.
Family-owned and operated since 1829, D.G. Yuengling & Son is the No. 1 craft brewing company in the United States and the sixth top-selling brewing company overall based on beer sales volume, according to the Brewers Association. Now sold in 22 states, production is supported by two breweries in Pottsville and one in Tampa, Florida. Its principal beer brands include Yuengling Traditional Lager, Light Lager, Black & Tan, Golden Pilsner, Premium, Light, Dark Brewed Porter, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Oktoberfest, Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter, and new Flight by Yuengling.
The Gary Sinise Foundation was established under the philanthropic direction of actor Gary Sinise, an advocate of the nation’s defenders for nearly 40 years. Its mission is to serve the nation by honoring its defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need through a number of national and local programs funded by the generosity of the foundation’s 75,000+ donors. These programs – designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities – serve America’s heroes and their loved ones 365 days a year.
The Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association (PRLA), which promotes, protects, and improves Pennsylvania’s hospitality industry, has launched Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania (HARP) to provide immediate emergency funding to hospitality workers that have been impacted by the state-wide restrictions on restaurants, bars, and hotels to slow the spread of COVID-19. HARP is a 501(c)(3), and 100 percent of the funds raised are dispersed to the grant recipients.
