• by Teresa Buyikian , May 13, 2024

Many QSRs and coffee shops fundraise for one charity or another, but not many collect donations for a cause that directly impacted the chain itself.

Today Dutch Bros Coffee announced its annual Drink One for Dane event, which will take place May 17. For every drink sold on that day, the Dutch Bros Foundation will make a donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), benefiting the organization’s mission to end ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease).

The chain was founded by two brothers, Dane and Travis Boersma in 1992. In 2009, co-founder Dane passed away from ALS. The annual fundraiser supports research to find a cure for the disease, and the MDA is the leading nonprofit for ALS research, care, advocacy and education.

"Drink One for Dane holds a special place in our company's heart and has been a part of our giving DNA for the past 18 years," said Tana Davila, CMO at Dutch Bros, in the release.

Customers who cannot make it to a Dutch Bros location can also donate directly to the MDA at www.dutchbros.com/drink-one-for-dane.

"When we lift our cups to Drink One for Dane, we're not only honoring the legacy of Dane Boersma, but we’re also actually igniting hope across the ALS and neuromuscular disease communities…. Every beverage fuels our momentum and that momentum fuels our certainty that we can – and will – defeat ALS," said Morgan Roth, CMO of the Muscular Dystrophy Association in the release.

Headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, Dutch Bros now has more than 850 locations in 17 states. Through the Dutch Bros Foundation and local operators and franchisees, the company donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year.