CONOR MCGREGOR and the team behind Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey has announced its intentions to $1.3 million dollars to first responder organisations around the world.
During Proper No. Twelve’s launch in late 2018, McGregor and his Eire Born Spirits partners Audie Attar and Ken Austin pledged to donate $5 for every case of Proper No. Twelve sold until donations reached $1 million annually.
Now the newly-formed spirits brand is making good on that pledge after a period of record-breaking sales for the whiskey.
Proper No. Twelve has sold approximately 200,000 9-litre cases in America and, based on the $5 per case donation the company will donate $1 million dollars in the United States.
The company has now announce it has selected the New York-headquartered Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to receive this $1 million donation for the United States.
The donation will go towards paying off the mortgages for families of law enforcement officers and firefighters across the country, who were killed in the line of duty and left behind young children.
Additional donations will be announced in March and April for first responder organisations in Ireland, Canada, the UK, Australia, Russia, Poland and South Africa.
McGregor said, “I am so grateful to the hardworking team at Proper No. Twelve, our distributors, retailers and pub owners along with the millions of whiskey fans that have embraced the brand generating record sales.
“These sales enable us to make our first significant donation to such deserving families. First responders around the world are the true-life heroes. They are the ones running into emergency situations. This has been a dream of ours since we started the business.”
In addition to the donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, McGregor has recorded PSAs (public service announcements) to encourage others to donate $11 per month to the foundation.
These clips will air throughout the United States on television.
Ken Austin, co-founder of Proper No. Twelve said, “When we began the vetting process on where to give, we saw the fundraising commercials that Tunnel to Towers was playing on TV.
“My wife grew up in The Rockaways in Queens, New York. Many first responders live in that area and many lost their lives on 9-11, just as Stephen Siller did.
"Conor said let’s donate the million dollars to Tunnel to Towers, but we need to do more. And through the TV spots with Conor, the hope is that many will donate and we can help raise many millions for the foundation and these families.”
“We are overjoyed to receive the donation from Conor McGregor and his team,” said Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman and CEO Frank Siller
.“We did not solicit their support - they approached us and have been nothing but generous, dedicated partners. Conor’s commitment to first responder families can serve as a role model for others. We are extremely grateful, and I know which whiskey we will be drinking this Paddy’s Day and beyond.”
A wonderful gesture ahead of March 17
