Dutch Bros to donate proceeds for ALS
It’s a big day for Dutch Bros Coffee as the company hosts its 16th annual Drink One for Dane fundraiser.
The drive-thru coffee company will donate a portion of proceeds from all drinks sold today in its more than 550 shops including its locations in Chico, Oroville and Paradise to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a nonprofit organization that does research, care, advocacy, educational and professional programming for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
The annual fundraiser honors one of the company’s founders Dane Boersma who, along with his brother Travis, founded Dutch Bros in 1992. Boersma passed away from ALS in 2009. Dutch Bros and the Boersma family started Drink One for Dane as a way to bring awareness to, and support research to find treatments and cures for, the disease.
“It’s gone really well in past years and is one of busiest days of the year for us. We staff up because we know it’s going to be a good turn-out. The crews get excited because it’s a big day for a great cause and honors one of our founders so it’s very near and dear to our hearts,” said Matt Long, regional operator who oversees the Dutch Bros locations in Chico, Paradise and Orland.
To date, Dutch Bros has donated more than $10 million to MDA with the support of customers. In addition to raising money by purchasing a drink from Dutch Bros today, customers can donate directly to the campaign at https://www.dutchbros. com/drink-one-for-dane.
“Continuing the legacy of Dane Boersma is a part of MDA’s mission because he and his family, and the entire Dutch Bros community, are a part of the MDA family,” said Donald S. Wood, president and CEO of MDA in a press release. “For decades, MDA has led the way for innovations in ALS science and care. Thanks to MDA-funded research, we now have treatments for ALS and have made tremendous leaps forward in our understanding of the causes of ALS. In addition, the ACT for ALS, of which MDA played an integral part, was signed into law in December 2021 and is the largest expansion of government funding for access to investigational therapies. For these reasons, this is a more hopeful time than ever before for patients and families living with ALS. We are eternally grateful to Dutch Bros as we celebrate our 16th year of partnership and over $10 million raised. The MDA community is drinking one for Dane alongside you and all families living with ALS.”
Taylor Luevano, regional operator for the Oroville, Yuba City and Live Oak Dutch Bros, said the Drink One for Dane is a “big deal” for employees.
“It’s a super awesome day to connect with customers and raise money for MDA. It’s a super fun day. We all wear our Drink One for Dane shirts and all employees will have an opportunity to do a ‘cheers’ with Travis in the morning,” said Luevano.
Founded in Grants Pass, OR, Dutch Bros now has locations in 13 states. Through its Dutch Bros Foundation and local franchisees, the company donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year, according to a press release.