ELORA – A local brewery wants to hear about local residents who have made a positive impact in the community so it can recognize them.
Inspired by people’s good deeds through the pandemic, nominations for Elora Brewing Co.’s (EBC) community stein initiative are open again.
“We’re really interested to hear stories about people who contribute to the community,” said Jonathan Laurencic, EBC co-founder. “It’s sort of a nice way for us to get to know people in the community a little bit more.”
For example, Laurencic explained he learned more about the Get In Touch For Hutch organization, a local group helping with youth mental illness, through founder Myrna Hutchison’s nomination last year.
“If there’s organizations or causes that these nominees are associated with, it’s a way for us to kind of help spread the word a little bit as well,” Laurencic said.
This initiative is an extension of an existing EBC membership program where members get a special made beer stein that remains at the brewery. In turn there are also benefits for members, but Laurencic said he sees it mostly as a way to build a community at the brewery.
“It’s just sort of a way to get people feeling like EBC is like their second home where they show up and their stein is on a shelf and staff would get to know you really well based on your stein and continually coming in and having a beer,” Laurencic said.
Other nominees from the previous year include a nursing executive at Groves Hospital, a local fire captain and an active community member in the nearby town of Alma.
Laurencic said they’re looking to nominate two or three people this year. Nominees can be submitted online here.
What is needed is the nominee’s name, email and a short blurb on why they should receive a stein membership.
Nominations are open until Jan. 31.
“We just wanted to do something that would feel good and try to spotlight on some people that were doing good in the community even though times were tough,” Laurencic said.
