Revolution Brewing is one of the largest independent craft breweries in the Chicagoland area. The organization has several partners, including Indiana Beverage, that have helped contribute to its success in the workplace and extra curricular campaigns. Throughout the month of October, Revolution Brewing is excited to shift its focus to its Annual Breast Cancer Campaign.
“Every half barrel of beer that we sell, we will be donating $20 back to the Karen Wellington Foundation,” Zack Miller, area sales representative for Revolution Brewing, said. “They are a nonprofit organization that helps out women no matter where they are, where they come from, or what stage of cancer diagnosis they have dealt with. For the month of October, we have pink fist handles for our Drink Pink program. The more support and involvement that we have, the more we are able to give back to them.”
According to Miller, the ultimate focus is for the Revolution Brewing team to give time and effort for families and women living with breast cancer through fun-only activities. The organization manages donations that go directly to the women and their families for activities such as spa days and concerts.
“All of our reps on the team that I work with are women,” Miller said. “We have men and women working with our company, but this campaign is very close to us on that aspect for my distinct team. When we go out into public, we try to make sure everybody knows about this. We want everybody to be involved. Last year, we had 26 total accounts doing it. We exceeded that number pretty quickly this year with our ultimate goal being to double what we did last year. I think it’s going to be quite achievable.”
When it comes to campaigns like this one, it takes a lot of working parties to ensure everything goes according to plan. Miller appreciates businesses such as Indiana Beverage for being a supportive boost in helping them out with these activities.
“Other bars, restaurants, and the people who buy our beer have been hugely instrumental in this, especially Indiana Beverage,” Miller said. “Generally, when you run campaigns in any aspect, you have to ask your partners first. We had an immediate response when we mentioned the goal of doubling for this year. We know this Drink Pink program is only going to grow this campaign the more we promote it. We couldn’t possibly have this success without those partners.”
Another business that’s been a huge partner with Revolution Brewing for the campaign has been Lori’s Smile, an organization in Porter County that focuses on providing funds to women who may not otherwise be able to receive help for breast cancer screenings. The organization was formed to honor Lori Furmankiewicz, who passed away from breast cancer in 2020.
Alan Furmankiewicz, husband of Lori Furmankiewicz, knew this organization was the right decision following the tough news.
“We decided that we did not want other family members or parents to go through this,” Alan Furmankiewicz said. “We did a GoFundMe, had our first gala, and gave a grant to the Franciscan Foundation before we were able to help out so many people. Our purpose is to create breast cancer awareness and work with other organizations.”
When it comes to Revolution Brewing’s annual campaign, a collaboration with Lori’s Smile was a great opportunity that Alan Furmankiewicz has cherished since they first started working together.
“We’re really excited whenever we have the chance to partner up with Revolution Brewery,” Alan Furmankiewicz said. “When you have one of the largest craft breweries in the country as a business partner, it opens things up a lot for us. They helped us get some connections with our next gala and some additional partners. It’s been a fresh partnership that pretty much started in February, but it has been absolutely amazing.”
Alan Furmankiewicz is also hopeful to see the community join Lori’s Smile in its Give Back Night on Wednesday, October 17. The event will take place at 219 Taproom in Chesterton. There is no admission fee, and Lori’s Smile will also be presenting another grant at the event.
With Breast Cancer Awareness Month in full effect, businesses like Revolution Brewing and Lori’s Smile are heavily emphasizing how they will be able to spread awareness better than ever for this year’s campaign.
“Awareness is really what this is all about and brings in the support,” Miller said. “We want everybody to know what this is going towards so it can increase in activity. As we’re planting roots this year, we want to see how it grows in the next few years to come. The partners and people who support this campaign are the driving force to the whole process.”
You can learn more about Revolution Brewing, Lori’s Smile, or Indiana Beverage on their websites.
