Dearborn brewery "pouring" back into the community
DEARBORN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Giving back to the community is no small task. For one local brewery in Dearborn, its staff and ultimately their "tap" is going a long way.
The staff at Downey Brewing Company is greeting folks in Dearborn with a variety of craft beer and comradery.
"Most everything we have here is…eclectic. It's kind of old school, have some fun, really relaxed and enjoy the people and enjoy the beer," said owner Dean Downey.
Living in Dearborn for three decades, Downey always supports the community, and in turn the community has backed his brewing for a long time.
"It's worked out good for everybody," Downey stated.
It's called "Give Back Tap." They've been doing it for the last seven years. Each month, a local nonprofit selects a beer on tap and the brewery gives them a portion of the profits.
"After the month's up, we'll give them back $1 for every beer that we sold, and a lot of times they'll have an event here and we'll give them a check for whatever it happens to be," said Downey.
Last month, the brewery chose the Dearborn Firefighter Burn Drive as its charity.
"We raise a ton of money to help out the local kids and local families in need," said firefighter Tim Duda.
Duda says the organization helps people who have lost their homes because of a fire.
The nonprofit puts families up in hotels, supplies food and holds fundraisers, including their big holiday toy run throughout the year.
In May, the organization holds a car raffle. Duda says it's the biggest fundraiser of the year.
The burn drive gets money through donations. Duda says outpour, like the "Give Back Tap," goes a long way.
"We were truly honored about it. I've known the Downey's my whole life, they're a great family. This is just one way to bring everybody together," said Duda.
Bringing people together with an act of kindness that pours back into the community.
"It's a win-win for everybody. Come in, enjoy a beer and know that while you're enjoying it, you're also doing some good for the local community," Downey stated.
Downey goes on to say he and his family have been doing this for years. He says it's a way to draw people into the brewery, but also informs people of the different nonprofits here in the community.
During the month of March, the brewery will be featuring the "Players Guild of Dearborn" charity for this month's "Give Back Tap."
