Throughout the month of July, Happy Raptor Distilling will partner with our friends at Angel's Place to collect gift cards and school supplies for members of our community in need. Angel's Place provides ongoing support services to children with life threatening illnesses and their families. Every individual (21 years or older) making a donation in the Happy Raptor tasting room gets one free freeze pop. 

GIFT CARDS
Preferred locations include Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, and Visa/Mastercard. Preferred amounts include $25 and $50, but any amount is appreciated.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Here's the list of needed supplies:

Spiral Notebooks:  3 subject, 5 subject.  College ruled
Binders - 1/2", 1", 2"
Scientific calculators 
T-84  graphing calculators 
EXPO markers - black (most needed)
RED ink pens
Plastic folders with pockets - all colors
Plastic folders with pockets & prong fasteners - all colors
Binder dividers - tabbed, 5,8,12 packs
Construction paper - small packs
Markers - washable - in packs of 8 or 10
Highlighters - yellow (most needed)
Staplers
Erasers - pink rectangles, individual pencil tops
Tape - rolls of Scotch tape in plastic dispenser
Scissors - pointy for older students
USB thumb drives
Headphones or earbuds
Index cards - Lined, white
Ruled handwriting tablet for K, 1st gr.
Watercolor paints - Crayola 6 or 8 set
Colored pencils
Loose leaf - wide ruled, college ruled
Wipes - sanitizing
Paper towels
Kleenex Tissues
Plastic Ziplock bags - Gallon, Quart sizes

On June 14th, Happy Raptor will officially have been open four months. Our company is brand new and we've already seen unprecedented challenges knock at our door. The killing of George Floyd and repeated violence against the black community and people of color has impacted our country and each of us as individuals. Lately, our team has been doing a lot more listening than talking.

When it comes to rum - no matter how much we love it - the elephant in the room is the painful history of rum production and its origins, as well as the limitations and exclusivity around the craft alcohol industry towards minorities in general.

Racism and prejudice hurt everyone. It restricts wealth and holds back entire communities until there's not enough common prosperity to support small businesses, leaving us all unable to reach our full potential. Happy Raptor's mission is to create premium infused rum inspired by our culture, our community, and the things that bring us joy. That cannot mean only the culture of our owners, and it cannot mean only the community that can afford premium rum.

We are having hard internal conversations and asking ourselves: "What do we want this company to mean to people?" As we grow, we are going to get things wrong and make mistakes. We hope that with communication, education, and action, our friends and neighbors will find trust in our team to (1) make amazing rum and (2) provide a safe and happy space for our community.

Since the beginning (four whole months ago), we have strictly enforced equal work for equal pay. We've dug in deep to help local nonprofits through donations, free access to our event space, and discounts everyday (not just during Covid). We are continuing our program to provide free 4oz. hand sanitizer to whomever needs it. We're laying down the building blocks to launch our first distilling internship, and basically doing our best to start off on the right foot and weave equity through the DNA fabric of our company.

If we make a mistake, tell us. If you need something, ask us. Our customer base at Happy Raptor is beautifully diverse, and we want to keep it that way. ​