FRANKFORT, Ky. — Buffalo Trace Distillery announced its six millionth barrel campaign has raised over $1 million for various charities, exceeding its goal of $500,000.
Last year, Buffalo Trace chose 378 non-profit organizations to receive special edition bottles from the sixth millionth barrel of Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The organizations could then use the exclusive bottles to host fundraising efforts for charities.
Currently 332 of the selected non-profits have raised $1,145,162 for charities of their choosing, and the remaining 56 have rescheduled or postponed their fundraising events due to the pandemic. The amount of money raised is expected to rise as the remaining charities sell their bottles.
The fundraising effort has benefitted a number of causes such as education services, ecological foundations, leukemia and lymphoma, arts foundations, veterans, animal rights and more.
Each organization received the bottle along with a handwritten description on the glass, packaged in a hardwood showcase box that included a piece of charred oak stave from the barrel and a small brochure.
Bourbon Charity was the top fundraiser with $69,125 through their Six Millionth Barrel to Give Thanks event which was set up as an online sweepstakes with donations starting at $10.
In Ketchum, Idaho, the Wood River Community YMCA raised $39,000 toward scholarships and programs for the organization during their Y Classic event.
Buffalo Trace has offered commemorative bottles for fundraising purposes before, such as the 2011 Millennium Barrel of bourbon which raised over $150,000. In 2016, the distillery used its inaugural O.F.C. Bourbon Whiskey from 1980, 1982 and 1983 where over $1 million was raised for charity
For future fundraising events, non-profits can register on Buffalo Trace's website.