Athletic Brewing Celebrates Earth Month with Largest-Ever Two For The Trails Donation

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Apr 03, 2023, 13:30 ET

Award-winning non-alcoholic brewery celebrates Earth Month with a commitment to give back up to $2 million in sales in 2023

MILFORD, Conn. and SAN DIEGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Athletic Brewing Company, America's leading producer of non-alcoholic craft beer and a Certified B Corporation™, is excited to kick off Earth Month by announcing the largest-ever single-year contribution to its Two For The Trails program.

Beginning this year, Athletic Brewing has committed to giving back up to $2 million annually to protect and restore outdoor spaces across the globe through its Two For The Trails program. Since 2018, Athletic Brewing has donated over $2.6 million to more than 150 outdoor organizations, including $1.3 million to over 100 recipients in 2022 alone.

"Our Two For The Trails program has blossomed into one of the most impactful of its kind over the last five years," said Athletic Brewing Co-Founder and CEO Bill Shufelt. "In 2018, we donated $6,000 to one partner. As we've grown, we've been able to support hundreds of organizations and projects across the globe. This year we'll provide up to $2 million in support to dozens of projects across the globe."

"Funding for these projects is essential to ensuring that future generations can continue to experience the beauty and wonder of our natural world, and we're proud to do our part in fostering corporate and environmental responsibility," Shufelt added.

Each year, Athletic Brewing accepts applications to fund projects related to trail construction and maintenance, waterway protection, environmental education, and stewardship. The spring 2023 grant period closed in March, and over 230 applications were received. A total of $500,000 will be distributed to multiple recipients through an initial round of funding, and over $1 million in funding will be dispersed during the second half of the year.

"Already this year we've received requests for a combined $5 million in grant funding, which demonstrates the great need that exists for ongoing improvement of public outdoor spaces," said Cara Wilson, Athletic Brewing's B Corp Manager. "These areas are a vital part of our local communities, and as demand for outdoor recreation continues to grow, it's more important than ever that we invest in the protection and restoration of our public trails, beaches, waterways, and parks."

Two For The Trails was established to help cover funding gaps on outdoor projects that have a transformative impact on local and national communities. Named after Shufelt's family tradition of taking two brews to toast post-trail adventures, Two For the Trails is at the heart of everything Athletic Brewing does.

In addition to providing funding for environmental projects, Athletic Brewing team members also donate their time to beach clean-up days, trail restoration efforts, and other outdoor improvement activities. In 2022, Athletic Brewing employees volunteered over 1,400 hours.

To celebrate Earth Month in 2023, Athletic Brewing will support more than 50 nationwide events throughout April and close its breweries for two days so teammates can volunteer. In San Diego, Athletic will participate in a beach cleanup on Fiesta Island hosted by Urban Surf 4 Kids. In Connecticut, Athletic will work with the Community Placemaking Engagement Network on a beautification project located along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in New Haven.

Athletic is also proud to be the Premier Sponsor of 2023 Celebrate Trails Day, an annual event started by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy which encourages people across the country to get outside and enjoy the nation's exceptional trails and trail systems.

"Earth Month is a great opportunity to showcase our commitment to supporting inclusive and safe access to the outdoors," said Wilson. "We're thrilled to use our Two For The Trails program to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining and improving public outdoor spaces so we can enjoy these areas for many years to come."

For more information on Two for the Trails, please visit https://athleticbrewing.com/pages/two-for-the-trails

About Athletic Brewing

Athletic Brewing, founded in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker, is America's leading producer of non-alcoholic craft beer. The company's brews are distributed in all 50 states and available at 50,000 retail stores nationwide. In 2022, Athletic was ranked as the 26th fastest-growing private company in America by Inc. Magazine, and named one of TIME's "100 Most Influential Companies." Athletic was also selected as one of Ad Age's Top 20 Hottest Brands. The company has won over 70 prestigious brewing awards, including Gold & Silver for its Run Wild and Free Wave IPAs in the 2022 US Open of Beer Championship. It was also named the North American Brewer of the Year at the 2022 International Beer Challenge. Athletic has custom breweries in Milford, Connecticut, and San Diego, and donates up to $2 million of all sales to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two For The Trails program. Plus, as a part of its IMPACT Program, 1% of revenue goes to non-profit organizations that support positive impact and opportunity from the ground up. As of 2022, Athletic Brewing is proudly a Certified B Corporation™. Its full-flavored near beers and hop-infused sparkling waters are available on www.athleticbrewing.com.

SOURCE Athletic Brewing Company