Clipper City Brewing Supports Returning Veterans

Maryland Returning Veterans Benefit by Clipper City Brewing Company’s Year-Long Charitable Initiative

Brewery’s Program has also Sparked other Businesses to Support Veterans

Baltimore, MD – Clipper City Brewing Company and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Healthcare System today announced that a program by the Baltimore-based brewery has contributed a total of $24,337 towards supporting the rehabilitation efforts of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who receive their care from the VA.

In addition, the program has been directly responsible for an increase in support from other businesses and organizations as they have followed the Brewery’s initiative.

In a show of community support for returning veterans, Clipper City Brewing started a year-long charitable campaign beginning June 1, 2007 in which a portion of its proceeds each month would go to the VA Maryland Health Care System. The first donation of $2,000 was presented during a ceremony on June 26, 2007 at the Baltimore VA Medical Center. More than 5,000 returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are now receiving their health care from the VA Maryland Health Care System.

“Thanks to Clipper City’s year-long charitable campaign to support returning veterans who receive their care from the VA Maryland Health Care System, we have a number of local businesses and community groups stepping up to support the VA and the veterans we serve,” said R. David Edwards, chief, Public & Community Relations for the VA Maryland Health Care System. “Historically, we’ve received very little donor support for our hospitalized veterans from local businesses, but all that has changed since Clipper City made the VA and returning veterans their sole charitable initiative this past year.”

Thanks to the campaign, the VA Maryland Health Care System was able to purchase a Virtual Reality Therapy System to assist returning veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) confront and manage their wartime experiences. In addition, Clipper City’s donations were used to enhance rehabilitation services throughout the state and supported the VA Maryland Health Care System’s 1st Annual Welcome Home Celebration for returning veterans.

“We made this our primary charitable initiative for the year,” said Hugh Sisson, founder and general partner of Clipper City Brewing Company. “Through our ongoing contributions, we are glad that other local companies came on board to help our injured veterans returning from the war. It should be a major priority for all American citizens, especially from the business sector, and we wanted to assist in their recovery and their return to a productive lifestyle.”

Clipper City Brewing Company was founded in 1995 by Baltimore brewing pioneer, Hugh Sisson. The brewery is named for the famous Baltimore Clipper ship, a symbol that embodies Baltimore’s maritime heritage and a commitment to craftsmanship of the highest caliber. The company produces over 14 styles of ales and lagers under three brands, Heavy Seas, Clipper City and Oxford Organic, that are distributed in over 21 states as well as the District of Columbia. In April 2008, the Brewery’s “Winter Storm Category 5 Ale” was chosen as the Best International Pale Ale in the World at the 2008 World Beer Cup.