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By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia
Many Aussies will enjoy a beer or two over the long, hot summer, and if they choose the right one, they’ll find themselves drinking for a good cause.
Iconic Queensland brewer XXXX and Sydney microbrewery 4 Pines are the latest to create limited-edition beers brewed for charity.
While altruistic in motive, the initiatives have highlighted the increasing importance of partnerships between corporates and charities to raise funds and increase awareness of philanthropic causes.
XXXX Tropical Lager has been created as part of parent company Lion’s $1 million three-year partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Announcing the deal in 2022, XXXX brand director Chris Allan said the partnership was part of the beverage giant’s commitment to protect the environment for future generations.
This included helping bankroll the Foundation’s goal of restoring the health of the Queensland’s waterways that flow to the Great Barrier Reef.
“We wholeheartedly believe that life is good when you give a XXXX, which is why we’re absolutely thrilled to announce this iconic partnership,” said Allan.
“XXXX has a proud history of giving back to Queensland, and we’re honoured that XXXX will help to protect and preserve one of our national treasures as part of this project.”
In the latest initiative toward that goal, Lion kicked off the recent launch of XXXX Tropical Lager with a $100,000 donation toward the Foundation’s efforts to restore vital seagrass meadows on the Great Barrier Reef.
The commitment and generosity were warmly welcomed by Great Barrier Reef Foundation managing director Anna Marsden.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with another Queensland icon, XXXX, by giving Aussies an opportunity to support the restoration and protection of critical Reef habitats for future generations, while living the good life this summer,” she said.
Marsden said the vital role seagrass meadows play in the health of the Reef cannot be overstated.
“They act as the ocean’s lungs, storing carbon, protecting our coasts and providing habitat for marine life such as endangered turtles and dugongs.
“Together, we can all help protect the Reef and its incredible marine life for future generations.”
Lion sustainability director Justin Merrell said the alcohol producer had a responsibility to help protect the reef.
“XXXX has been around for over 140 years, and we plan on being around for many more,” he said.
“We’re doing our part to ensure the next generation of Aussies can enjoy the good life and the reef. This includes being the first and only Australian beer brand to partner with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, a long term million-dollar investment.”
The initiative is the latest in a series of GBRF activities supported by XXXX, projects that help farmers evolve their irrigation practices and reduce downstream impact on Reef water quality.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation's chief of communications and growth, Sarah Ireland said the Foundation was committed to ethical fundraising, consistent with the values of Fundraising Institute Australia.
The Foundation also has a 10-year, $10 million partnership with retail giant Coles, who are the exclusive distributors of Tropical Lager, which is also available on premise on Hamilton Island.
“The Foundation undertakes a thorough due diligence process before entering into all corporate partnerships to ensure alignment with our ethical donation values and fundraising policies,” Ireland said.
She said the Great Barrier Reef is a global treasure, and everyone has a role to play in protecting and restoring it to ensure Australia has a Reef for future generations.
“The Foundation brings together people and organisations to accelerate and amplify Reef conservation, and one of the ways we do this is through corporate partnerships that help fund reef restoration work and raise awareness of the threats facing coral reefs.”
“The Foundation brings together people and organisations to accelerate and amplify reef conservation and one of the ways we do this is through corporate partnerships that help fund reef restoration work and raise awareness of the threats facing coral reefs.”
The McGrath Foundation said it applied a similar ethical lens to its arrangement with brewer 4 Pines and its special edition Pink Beer.
The rose-coloured lager, which 4 Pines crafted for the third year running in partnership with the Foundation and Cricket Australia, was on tap at the SCG for the Sydney Pink Test against India in January.
The brew was also available for a limited period this month at selected pubs across Sydney, with all proceeds donated to the McGrath Foundation, helping fund its ongoing efforts to provide cancer care nurses.
At the time of the beer's launch in early December, McGrath Foundation ambassador and director Tracy Bevan emphasised the impact of the collaboration, saying the Pink Test was “an incredibly important event for us.”
“Thanks to the amazing support from our community and dedicated partners like 4 Pines, we can continue to fund our nurses who provide clinical, psychosocial and emotional support to people experiencing cancer.”
4 Pines’ environmental and social impact advisor, Sarah Turner, said the brewer was proud to support the McGrath Foundation’s work in ensuring everyone experiencing cancer received the care they deserve.
“Many of us have loved ones affected by cancer, and this partnership is our way of standing with them and making a real impact.”
The partnership, however, is at odds with the well-established link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of breast cancer.
When contacted by the Community Advocate, a spokesperson for the McGrath Foundation reiterated the organisation's purpose, saying it was to ensure that no one goes through cancer without the care of a McGrath cancer care nurse.
“Corporate partnerships are integral to helping us achieve our purpose and our partnership with 4 Pines Brewing Co enables us to support families experiencing cancer,” the spokesperson said.
“Like many other brands, 4 Pines embraced the spirit of the Pink Test by crafting a pink lager sold in select venues in support of the McGrath Foundation.”
While not commenting directly on the link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption, the spokesperson said the Foundation doesn’t enter into agreements with other organisations lightly.
“Before the McGrath Foundation enters any partnership, we undertake due diligence, and through this process there were several things that we considered including whether the organisation is strategically aligned to our purpose, has compatible values, and is operating ethically and legally.
“People have the choice to support the McGrath Foundation by buying a 4 Pines Brewing Co beer.
“Alternatively, they can choose to support the Foundation by purchasing one of our many other partner products, including Lyres non-alcoholic spirits, engaging with one of our fundraising campaigns like buying a Virtual Pink Seat during the Pink Test or by making a donation to the McGrath Foundation directly.”
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF), which describes itself as the nation’s leading organisation committed to preventing and minimising the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs, declined to comment on the issue when contacted by the Community Advocate.
The Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE), which “develops evidence-based policies and programs to reduce alcohol harm in Australia” also declined to comment on the appropriateness of a cancer charity partnering with an alcohol company.
Fundraising partnerships between charities and brewers are nothing new.
The late Prime Minister Bob Hawke agreed to lend his name to Hawke’s Brewing Co on the proviso that 100% of his royalties were donated to the not-for-profit Landcare Australia, an organisation close to his heart, which he helped create in 1989.
According to the brewery’s website, each year contributions from Hawke’s beer sales have funded a range of projects, from bushfire recovery grants to endangered coastal emu protection efforts, to mangrove conservation in Queensland.
A percentage of sales from Homestead Brewing’s special edition beer Tomahawk Pale were donated to the mental health charity Black Dog Institute, while Wayward Brewing Co, based in Camperdown, NSW, each year partners with a different charity as part of its "Craft for a Cause" initiative.
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