It is probably fair to say that the the release of Proper No. Twelve has outstripped the levels of success that even its most ardent supporters would have predicted upon its release several months ago.
The Irish whiskey has become one of the most popular drinks of its kind in the various markets it has been released in since its launch, and also came with a promise from those responsible for it: sections of its profits would be donated to first responder charities, a cause very close to the heart of its figurehead, Conor McGregor.
It was announced today by the group behind Proper No. Twleve that $1.3 million of its profits will be donated to such charities across the globe.
Per a press release:
“During Proper No. Twelve’s launch in late 2018, founder McGregor and his partners pledged that the whiskey company would donate $5 for every case of Proper No. Twelve sold until donations reached $1 million annually to first responder organizations around the world. Thanks to the tremendous love and support for the brand as well as the high-quality liquid, Proper No. Twelve has become a bartender and consumer favourite, setting sales records for the industry. Proper No. Twelve has sold approximately 200,000 9-liter cases in America and, based on the $5 per case donation the company will donate $1 million dollars in the United States.
“The company is proud to announce it has selected the New York-headquartered Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to receive this $1 million donation for the United States. The donation will go towards paying off the mortgages for families of law enforcement officers and firefighters across the country, who were killed in the line of duty and left behind young children. Tunnel to Towers has a score of 100 for Accountability & Transparency on Charity Navigator. Additional donations will be announced in March and April for first responder organizations in Ireland, Canada, the UK, Australia, Russia, Poland and South Africa.
Conor McGregor stated, “I am so grateful to the hardworking team at Proper No. Twelve, our distributors, retailers and pub owners along with the millions of whiskey fans that have embraced the brand generating record sales. These sales enable us to make our first significant donation to such deserving families. First responders around the world are the true-life heroes. They are the ones running into emergency situations. This has been a dream of ours since we started the business. Ken, Audie and I had bold ideas for the brand, and sales have surpassed all of our projections! We are so proud to partner with the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to honour these proper heroes. The foundation’s goal is to ensure stability and security for these families facing sudden tragic loss. I hope to inspire my fans and all Proper Twelve drinkers to join me and support this worthwhile cause.”
In addition to the donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, McGregor has recorded PSAs (public service announcements) to encourage others to donate $11 per month to the foundation. These spots, one of which can be viewed here, will air throughout the United States on television.
Ken Austin, co-founder of Proper No. Twelve said, “When we began the vetting process on where to give, we saw the fundraising commercials that Tunnel to Towers was playing on TV. My wife grew up in The Rockaways in Queens, New York. Many first responders live in that area and many lost their lives on 9-11, just as Stephen Siller did. Conor said let’s donate the million dollars to Tunnel to Towers, but we need to do more. And through the TV spots with Conor, the hope is that many will donate and we can help raise many millions for the foundation and these families.”
