BOSTON, MA – It’s the season of giving, and today the Harpoon Brewery is ecstatic to announce the tally of their year of giving.  In 2012 the Harpoon Brewery raised $533,758 and contributed the equivalent of $296,190 in in-kind donations for local charities through its Harpoon Helps program, bringing the brewery’s total contribution to $829,948 for the year.  Harpoon Helps, which became an official entity at the brewery in 2003, is a program aimed at being a good neighbor through volunteerism and charitable giving.

In addition to fundraising, the brewery arranges volunteer opportunities for Harpoon staff and members of the brewery’s Friend of Harpoon program throughout the year.  2012 missions included plunging into the Boston Harbor in the winter to raise money for Save the Harbor Save the Bay, sorting children’s clothing at Cradles to Crayons, and sorting food at food banks throughout New England.  The largest Harpoon Helps volunteer event, Harpoon Helps Spread Holiday Cheer, was held earlier this month.  70 Harpooners and close to 600 beer-loving volunteers decorated 40 homeless shelters and nonprofit organizations throughout Harpoon’s distribution area for the holidays.

2012 also saw the return of Harpoon Grateful Harvest, a limited edition cranberry ale, for its third season.  For every 6-pack of Grateful Harvest sold, Harpoon donated $1 to the local food bank in the area the beer was purchased.

Harpoon Helps 2012 by the numbers:

  • Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash to benefit Save the Harbor Save the Bay:  $34,200
  • Harpoon 5-Miler to benefit the Angel Fund and ALS research:  $146,539
  • Harpoon Brewery to Brewery Ride to benefit the Elite Development Program and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute:  $144,000
  • Harpoon Point to Point to benefit the Vermont Foodbank:  $137,540
  • Harpoon Octoberfest Road Race to benefit the Friends of the Norris Cotton Cancer:  $27,250
  • Harpoon Grateful Harvest to benefit local food banks:  $35,296
  • Movember to raise funds for prostate cancer research:  $8,933
  • Additional Non-profits affected through in-kind donations: 303
  • Harpoon Gift packs donated: 215
  • Harpoon beers donated for fundraising purposes: 56,658
  • Total Harpoon Helps volunteer missions in 2012: 15
  • Estimated Harpoon Helps volunteer hours in 2012: 5,905
  • Total funds raised through Harpoon fundraising efforts:  $533,758
  • Value of Harpoon in-kind donations: $296,190
  • Total Harpoon contributions made in 2012:  $829,948

Harpoon has set a goal to surpass $1,000,000 in charitable contributions in 2013.

For more information about Harpoon Helps and a complete list of 2012 fundraising and volunteer events, visitwww.harpoonhelps.com or contact Liz Melby at lmelby@harpoonbrewery.com.

About the Harpoon Brewery:

The Harpoon Brewery was founded by beers lovers, Rich Doyle and Dan Kenary. In 1986 Harpoon was issued Brewing Permit #001 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, since it was the first brewery to brew in Boston after a dormant period of about 25 years. Harpoon’s line of craft beer features its award-winning IPA and UFO Hefeweizen beers, along with four special seasonal selections. In 2000 Harpoon purchased a second brewery in Windsor, VT, making Harpoon the 8th largest craft brewer in the US. Harpoon has since introduced two lines of limited edition beers, the 100 Barrel Series and the Leviathan Series, as well as the all-natural Harpoon Cider made from freshly pressed, local apples. For more information about Harpoon beers and visiting the breweries, visitwww.harpoonbrewery.com.