Goodlot Farmstead donating to Alton Legion in honour of Remembrance Day

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

In honour of Remembrance Day on Nov 11, one local company is giving back through the last standing Legion in Caledon. 

Goodlot Farm and Farmstead Brewing Co. has committed to raising money for the Alton Legion in support of keeping the Legion afloat while it remains closed during the pandemic. 

It all began from a bottle drive, giving the team at Goodlot the idea to raise funds for the legion.

“Our friend Toby, who is very active at the Legion, organized a bottle drive earlier this year, which we thought was a great idea.  Then we started wondering how we could properly help observe Remembrance Day and support Local 449, since they have been closed since the start of the pandemic,” said Goodlot co-founder and CEO, Phil Winters. “It made sense to raise money in our awesome community by selling beer and giving all the profits of those sales to Local 449.”

Staff at Goodlot Farm and Farmstead Brewing Co. have organized a bottle drive in support of raising funds by encouraging members of the community to drop off their empty bottles at their location. 

Alongside the bottle drive, the company has a special on a case of 24 of their Bighead Amber beer for $80, in which $24 gets donated to the legion.

“Our neighbours can either order online at our website - www.goodlot.beer, or they can simply come and buy the case at our curb-side pickup, but they have to have a tap card to do that transaction, as we are abiding by COVID-19 rules and we ask patrons to stay in their car while we service them,” said Winters.

Those who participate will be given a poppy as well.

Winters and his team at Goodlot have been more than happy to help support their Legion, not only because of friends that participate, but they understand the importance of the last standing Legion in Caledon and what thy stand for. 

“We live, farm, work and brew in Alton.  We love that Legion, it's such a great space, filled with great people.  Plus, it is the only Legion in Caledon, and it's an important support for our local Caledon veterans, and service people,” he said. “It was a last-minute idea, with no marketing really, and we have already sold several cases and have a growing mountain of empties!”

Steve Hayward who works public relations at the Legion is thrilled with the help from Goodlot Farmstead, and states that the donation will be going towards debt, bills and anything needed to keep the Legion going.

“It's really going to help us,” said Hayward. “We have stuff to pay to keep the Legion going, like our hydro and taxes and stuff. It's going to help our normal running of (the Legion) until COVID-19 is over.” 

Due to the pandemic, the Legion has been closed since March and has been struggling to keep afloat. With the help of community members, donations, fundraising events, the Alton Legion has been able to remain in the community.

This Remembrance Day, Hayward and other members aren't able to celebrate and honour like they usually do in the past, which has had significant impact on them. A small ceremony was held on Nov. 1 with a few members from the Alton Legion, as well as Mayor Allan Thompson, MPP Sylvia Jones and Dufferin-Caledon MP Kyle Seeback.

“Remembrance Day is special to me, my father-in-law and two uncles were over there, some of my friends were over there during the Second World War, and I have two nephews who went to Afghanistan,” said Hayward. “Remembrance Day means something to me. That's why I'm a Legion member.”