LEEF Labs raises $25,000 to benefit fire department
Wildland fire turnouts to be replaced
In just three short weeks, Willits-based LEEF Labs/ LEEF Organics raised $25,000 for the Little Lake Fire Protection District (LLF). It was mid- September when the two-yearold company announced it would donate all net proceeds from the sale of their online products to support LLF as they protect the local community, and support nearby firefighting efforts. LEEF Labs CEO Micah Anderson said the goal of the donation was to bring some “financial relief in a time of need.”
Anderson said the cannabis industry is one of the few that has not been adversely affected by the current national pandemic, and sales are going strong. He said the fundraiser “went really well” and they raised more money than expected. “We’ve done (fundraisers) in the past and they honestly have not gone this well so it was a good surprise.”
LLF Chief Chris Wilkes said he was unaware of the
company’s plans to honor the department until recently, but was happy to accept the money on behalf of the department. “This
is a huge thing for us. We have some tools we want to buy… but after that 100 percent is going to be used on wildland turnouts…”
Wilkes explained. “Every year that we go out on these big fires, we always lose turnouts… we are constantly replacing that. So, this money will replace everything and more that we’ve lost this year.”
Wilkes added that the funds will also help relieve the fire department’s budget and allow existing funds to be spent elsewhere in the department. “Just like any budget, you’re limited. And donations, especially when they are a surprise… it’s nice.”
LEEF Labs is a closedsystem extraction plant
that has two main divisions — one based in cannabis and one based in hempderived CBD products. Currently, the company serves clients nationwide, and is about to expand nationally. “We just got picked up by Nordstroms and the Marriott,” said Anderson.
“We’ve been fortunate to get with some really big accounts that have picked us up, and we just did a distribution deal with a company in Italy, so now we’re working on expanding.”
Wilkes said he is impressed with the LEEF facility, laboratory and man
agement. “We’ve been working together a lot… It’s hard to meet all codes and standards in 2020, and their business is a high quality business… I really wish all businesses that come (to town) were as easy to work with as this group.”
LEEF Lab Director Gary Vandenberghe thanked Wilkes for the help he has provided over the years. “I just want to say thank you. That facility wouldn’t be what it is without the cooperation between us… We couldn’t have done it without you, honestly.”