Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery has donated more than 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer in its Flatten the Curve initiative as of April 11.
Tyler Dyck, CEO of the distillery in Vernon and Kelowna, said the bottles have been sent to “our local health-care heroes,” and thanked members of the public who have helped the cause.
Okanagan Spirits launched its Harness Your Superhero campaign April 6; money generated from the sale of its locally crafted liquor products contributes to the making of more sanitizer bottles.
“I’m glad to say that because of that, you guys have actually contributed to about 2,500 of those bottles more going out than we would have been able to do ourselves,” Dyck said.
The distillery has been turning its craft whisky, gin and vodka into sanitizer since late March to help local frontline workers battle shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, the distillery has given bottles of sanitizer to B.C. Ambulance Service throughout Central and North Okanagan, as well as to every department, ward and frontline staff member at the Kelowna General Hospital — the same will soon be true of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
Okanagan Spirits hand sanitizer has also made its way to Bylands Nurseries Ltd., where 19 temporary foreign workers have tested positive for COVID-19.
Bottles have also been given to Interior Health community outreach workers, the Kelowna Cancer Centre, the Kelowna International Airport, Okanagan postal service workers, dozens of care and senior homes and more.
“This Superhero program not only has a multiplier effect on the amount of sanitizer we are able to produce and donate daily, but it also gets our sanitizer into the general public’s hands as well, so you can better protect yourself and the environment around you and your loved ones,” Dyck said.
“Please help join the fight so we can minimize the impact to our collective communities.”
Dyck said by next week the distillery hopes to have donated another 8,000-10,000 bottles.
READ MORE: B.C. records 35 new COVID-19 cases; five inmates at Mission jail in hospital
READ MORE: Kelowna cannabis company moves to hand sanitizer production