Labatt Breweries shifts production to hand sanitizer, first batch goes to food banks

TORONTO, March 23, 2020 /CNW/ – Labatt Breweries of Canada is once again mobilizing its Canadian Disaster Relief Program and for the first time, is in the process of shifting production from beer to hand sanitizer across the country in support of the national effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Initial production will result in 50,000 bottles of hand sanitizer that will be donated to support Food Banks Canada, front line workers and partners in the restaurant and bar industry who are playing a critical role in serving take-out meals in a time of need.  

Following the guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO), select Canadian facilities will commence the production of hand sanitizer effective immediately. This includes Labatt Breweries facilities in London, Ont., Edmonton, Alta., and Montreal, Que., Goodridge & Williams in Vancouver, B.C. and Mill Street Beer Hall in Toronto, Ont.

“This is a national crisis like we haven’t seen in our lifetimes and we feel an obligation to do everything we can to help through our Disaster Relief Program,” said Charlie Angelakos, Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Labatt Breweries of Canada. “Our goal is to get this much needed sanitizer into the hands of those who need it most, especially individuals on the front lines serving their communities as we all pull together.”

Donations of the hand sanitizer will be determined on a local basis where Labatt Breweries of Canada facilities are located from coast-to-coast and arrangements for safe delivery will be made.

“It’s times like these when organizations like ours need more support than ever – to assist the devoted food bankers on the ground helping those vulnerable people in our communities.  We’re so grateful that Labatt is providing us with much-needed hand sanitizer,” says Chris Hatch, CEO, Food Banks Canada. “It’s great to see a Canadian company step up and do their part in helping the community and I’m sure Labatt’s efforts will have a major impact during this difficult time.”

Since the inception of Labatt’s Disaster Relief Program in 2012, this donation is Labatt’s twelfth activation and the very first non-water production. The program has previously provided a total of 460,000 cans of clean drinking water to residents and on-the-ground responders in need across Canada, including in Fort McMurray during the 2016 wildfires and to communities along the St. John River in New Brunswick in 2018 when the province was faced with the worst flooding in decades.

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