Fort Myers Brewing Gives Back

MOST OF US KNOW THAT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAS A REPUTATION AS A CARING AND VERY GENEROUS COMMUNITY AND LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS IS TO A HECK OF A LOT OF THE CHARITABLE WORK. JOINING US NOW IS WGCUS MIKE WALCHER TO SHARE WITH US THIS WEEK SEGMENT ON BUSINESS WHERE WE ARE GETTING THE CHANCE TO HIGHLIGHT A VERY SPECIAL COMPANY THAT SETS A SHINING EXAMPLE. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT? >> YEAH, I KNOW THIS IS THE RESULT NOT OF A SCIENTIFIC POLL. I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR DECADES ABOUT GIVING BACK AND ONE NAME KEPT COMING UP. SO WE LIFT THE MUG TO FORT MYERS BREWING COMPANY. THE BREWERY WAS FOUNDED 13 YEARS AGO BY ROBIN JEN, WHITE. IT'S LOCATED IN AN INDUSTRIAL PARK IN THE GATEWAY AREA BETWEEN SOUTH FORT MYERS, IN LEHIGH ACRES. IT BREWS WILL HAWKS AND LOTS OF BEER AND IT WINDS LOTS OF AWARDS. THE GENEROSITY BEGAN FROM THE VERY START AND 2013 RAISING MONEY TO HONOR MICHAEL WILSON, A FALLEN OFFICER IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY THAT RESONATED WITH JOHN WHITE WHO SAYS HER FATHER, GRANDFATHER, BROTHER AND UNCLE ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, THE COMPANY ALSO PUT ON DRIVES TO HELP SOME FOOD BANKS FROM ANIMAL SHELTERS. AND IT HELPED AIDAN PICKETT A LOCAL BOY FIGHTING LEUKEMIA THOSE EFFORTS ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OTHER CHILDREN IN NEED. >> FAMILIES DEALING WITH CANCER IS. AND IT TOUCHES A TOUCHES. MY HEART STRINGS. MY BROTHER PASSED AWAY WHEN HIS GIRLS WERE 6 YEARS OLD. HE HAD A VERY RARE CANCER CLEAR CELL SARCOMA. AND SO AND HE WAS IN MICHIGAN AND WATCHING THE COMMUNITY RALLY AROUND HIM. MID MAY AND AND MY HAS BEEN REALLY WANT TO RALLY AROUND FAMILIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH CANCER. >> AFTER HURRICANE IAN AND 2022 ROBYN WHITEHEAD, THE IDEA TO BRING ON MOBILE LAUNDRY MAT AND THIS IN FLOOD RAVAGED AREAS LIKE HARLEM HEIGHTS OF LEE COUNTY, THE WHITES RECRUIT IN THE OWNER OF A FOOD TRUCK THAT SELLS IN THE BREWING COMPANY PARKING LOT AND THEY URGE THAT MOUNT HAMAS-RUN KILL TO GIVE AWAY FOOD OUT THE LAUNDROMAT. JOHN WHITE TALKS FIRST ABOUT WHAT HER HUSBAND DID. >> AND SO HE SPENT MANY, MANY, MANY DAYS ON THE ROAD, DOING LAUNDRY AND THE CLEAN CLOTHES, CLEAN SHEETS, CLEAN TOWELS. THAT WAS IMPORTANT. BUT I THINK WHAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT WAS THAT HE WOULD TAKE A COOLER OF BEER WITH HIM. WHEN PEOPLE WOULD COME AND PICK UP THEIR LAUNDRY AFTER HE DID IT. HE WOULD ASK THEM IF THEY WANTED TO BE HERE AND THEY'D SIT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION AND WHAT PEOPLE WANTED TO DO MOST, I THINK AFTER HURRICANE IAN WAS TELL THEIR STORY AND HAVE SOMEONE LISTEN. >> IT FEELS GOOD. YOU KNOW. >> AND FEARS THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE COULD BACK A LITTLE BIT SOMETHING TO THE COMMUNITY TO, YOU KNOW. >> SO THAT DOESN'T DOESN'T NICE PERSON. >> SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAS BEEN GREAT TOO. FORT MYERS BREWING AND TO ROBIN JEN. AND SO WE WANT TO BE GREAT RIGHT BACK. >> WHAT DOES JEN WHITE SAY ABOUT OTHERS FOLLOWING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, SHE MAKES IT CLEAR SHE IS NOT GOING TO PREACH TO ANYBODY UNTIL OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO. BUT SHE SAYS IF THEY DO SO THEY'RE GOING TO AND GIVE BACK AND THEN ENGAGE IN SOME CHARITABLE, GOOD DEEDS. >> THEY'RE GOING TO FEEL REAL GOOD RIGHT IN THE HEART AND THEY DO SOMETHING I LOVE, WHICH IS THE ALLOW YOUR YOUR FOR BABIES TO YEAH. BREWERY, WHICH I THINK IS FANTASTIC AS GOOD. YEAH. 0 DOT FRONT LIKE. THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND SHARING THIS GREAT STORY WITH US. MIKE. >> WELCOME.