Copperwing Hand Sanitizer Supplies

Copperwing Distillery and Long Lake Fire Department are seeking donations to manufacture hand sanitizer for Long Lake Fire Department and other first responders in our community.

Sanitizer has been difficult or impossible for fire departments and other critical care organizations to acquire since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis. Existing sources are back-ordered with lead times extending from weeks to months. Copperwing Distillery is presently adapting its spirit-making operations to meet the present and critical need for hand sanitizer. 

First responders face a high risk of exposure to Covid-19. “In addition to fire, Long Lake Fire Department responds to a variety of emergency calls including medical emergencies,” says Long Lake Fire Chief, James Van Eyll. “Hand washing is one of the keys to help flatten the curve. Out in the field our first responders don’t have access to soap and water, so we use hand sanitizer, and a lot of it.” Across the county, there is already a shortage of first responders, and exposure to this virus could debilitate entire departments, halting responses to emergencies and making a dangerous situation worse.

Dr. Brian Idelkope, an internal medicine physician and one of Copperwing’s three owners, found himself uniquely positioned to give back. He and his partners, Chris Palmisano and Kyle Kettering, halted the distillery’s production of craft spirits, and refocused on meeting the present need for hand sanitizer in our community. “As a doctor, I recognized an emergent need for first responders to feel safe and empowered to provide care to the community in the midst of this global pandemic,” said Dr. Idelkope. “As a distillery, we have the capacity to manufacture alcohol-based hand sanitizer to help meet the extraordinary demand, and give first responders the confidence they need to do their jobs and to save lives.”

“Copperwing is proud to step up and give back to fill a national need in a time of crisis,” said Dr. Idelkope, “and we are proud to partner with the Long Lake Fire Department who steps up each and every day for their community. We are grateful to them, and all first responders who put their lives at risk.” 

For Hand Sanitizer for Heroes to succeed and meet the current demand, Copperwing must purchase large quantities of ingredients to manufacture sanitizer in compliance with safe and effective formulas defined by the World Health Organization. Our goal is to raise $5,000 by Friday, March 27, 2020. All funds raised will go directly toward the purchase of raw materials and packaging for sanitizer, and will help cover the cost of labor to produce over a thousand gallons of sanitizer. Please help us help our first responders. Thank you for your support!

To download a copy of the press release click here.

So far, we've been able to provide free sanitizer to the following:

Long Lake fire department
Orono Police department (thru Long lake FD)
Medina Police  department (thru Long lake FD) 
Hamel Fire  department (thru Long lake FD)
Corcoran Police department   (thru Long lake FD) 
Loretto Fire   department   (thru Long lake FD)  
Minnetrista Police   department (thru Long lake FD)   
Mound Fire department (thru Long lake FD)  
Deephaven Police  department  (thru Long lake FD)   
Excelsior Fire District  (thru Long lake FD) 
South Lake Police department (from Long lake FD / pass-thru excelsior FD)  
Saint Louis Park fire department  
St. Clair Fire department
Bluestone Physician Services - mobile care - Stillwater MN

THANK YOU!