Samuel Adams raises millions for bar, restaurant workers hurt by coronavirus pandemic

Samuel Adams is partnering with an organization to give money to restaurant and bar workers as coronavirus shutdowns hit the industry.

So far, they’ve raised over $2.7 million for the initiative.

The Restaurant Strong Fund is now open to employees in 20 states, including California, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

The fund began in March as a partnership between the popular brewing company and the Greg Hill Foundation in Boston, and now it has expanded across the country.

According to the website, the U.S. has more than 1 million restaurants with more than 15 million employees “who are especially vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 closures.”

“We stand with and want to extend a toast to the restaurant workers who have had our backs for so many years, from serving our favorite beers to celebrating life’s most memorable moments with us,” the fund’s website says.

The fund has been mailing out $1,000 checks to hundreds of employees, according to a tweet.

To qualify, applicants must have worked at least 30 hours per week and be employed for three months or longer at the same location. Here’s a link to the application.

If you want to help, here’s a link to the donation page.

This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Samuel Adams raises millions for bar, restaurant workers hurt by coronavirus pandemic."