Okanagan Spirits donates 20K hand sanitizer bottles, more on the way

Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery has donated more than 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer in its Flatten the Curve initiative so far.

Tyler Dyck, CEO of the distillery in Vernon and Kelowna, said the bottles have been sent to “our local healthcare heroes,” and thanked members of the public who have helped the cause.

Last week Okanagan Spirits launched its Harness Your Superhero campaign, where money generated from the sale of 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,” said Dyck.

The distillery has been turning its craft whiskey, gin and vodka into sanitizer for the past few weeks 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 the entire 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 to 10,000 bottles.