Boundary Bay Brewery’s newest limited-release Gratitude IPA is brewed in appreciation of our country's veterans and will help raise funds for a nonprofit veteran-support organization.
Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) created a unique Veteran hop blend to benefit the Semper Fi Fun, a dedicated nonprofit organization that provides urgently needed resources and support for post 9/11 combat wounded, critically ill and injured members of our United States Armed Forces and their families.
“The fact that YCH created a special blend of hops to raise funds for a veteran-support nonprofit is inspiring,” says General Manager Janet Lightner, whose father Craig Lightner served as a pilot in the Navy. “When we brewed this beer we invited our employees who have served in the United States Armed forces to participate in the process.”
Bruce Kale, Boundary Bay’s first employee and Army Veteran, is encouraged by the effort to offer recognition and raise funds for veterans.
“Veterans have been overlooked for a long time and it’s seeming to finally sink in that support is needed.” Kale says. “It’s really nice to see our brewery making a beer to show appreciation and raise awareness for the sacrifice our country’s men and women make.”
Kale’s parents also served in the Armed Forces. His father, Glen Kale, served as a drill sergeant in Greensboro, N.C. before shipping off to India during World War II. His mother, Frances Curtis Kale, served in the Navy as a Radio Radar Receiver as well as an Assembly and Repair Airplane Carrier also during WWII. Currently, Kale’s parent’s uniforms are on display at Boundary Bay.
In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill creating women’s auxiliary agency in the Navy called “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service” – WAVES for short. Frances Curtis Kale was one of the 283,000 women who joined the military during World War II.
“Fate wields an arrow into history for each of us, a nation at war decided for me,” reads a handwritten note from Frances Curtis Kale.
“This Veterans Day, we raise a pint of gratitude to thank the men and women who have served our country and hope their sacrifices will always be appreciated,” Lightner says.
Other breweries utilizing this blend include: Fort George Brewery, Sunriver Brewing Company, KettleHouse Brewing Company and Postdoc Brewing.
For more information about the Semper Fi Fund visit: semperfifund.org
Boundary Bay Brewery is an independently owned and operated brewpub located in downtown Bellingham. Since 1995, they’ve been making handcrafted beer and fresh, local food for the Bellingham community. Boundary Bay Brewery houses a Taproom, family-friendly Bistro, outdoor dining with a patio and a beer garden.
