Numbers Brewing Company honors police officers by hosting fundraisers this week to benefit five police departments.
LISBON — The third week of May is National Police Week and Numbers Brewing Company is celebrating through Saturday. Throughout the week, they will be hosting a different police department each day and donating ten percent of their sales to help with equipment or community projects. Marketing and promotions director Randy Schneider said it’s a great way to connect the community to police officers.
“Along with the percent of sales going to help each department, this has turned out to be a great community bonding experience with each department … as each of the departments get to engage with citizens in a slightly different but fun atmosphere,” Schneider said.
Schneider, who also is a sergeant with Leetonia police, said he and his friends had spoken about doing a fun fundraiser that is a community-relations event. “This is more of a laid-back atmosphere for the officers and police departments to get to know people and give them a chance to talk to them a little more one on one in a more comfortable atmosphere where they don’t feel like it’s the whole uniform and badge type atmosphere,” he said. “It’s a great way for them to raise money.”
Schneider said the event is more than raising funds. For him, it’s a matter of humanizing the badge. “People were a bit hesitant when we first did it the first year,” he said. “After the first day people saw, oh wait, this isn’t just a cop. It’s kind of cool. I can talk to this guy I always see out doing traffic or responding to incidents.”
Schneider said he believes this will be the third year for the fundraiser. COVID had halted the event for the last couple of years, he said.
Numbers kicked Police Week off yesterday, hosting the Hancock County K9 unit featuring raffles and 85 cent wing night. Tonight, the Leetonia Police Department will be there at 6 p.m. For the rest of the week’s schedule, on Thursday, Columbiana police’s K9 unit will be there at 6 p.m. on Numbers bike night with $1 off Numbers drafts. Friday, Salem police’s K9 unit and handler Michael Garber will be there at 5 p.m. along with raffles and live music from Darren Miller. For the final night Saturday at 6 p.m., Lisbon police chief Michael Abraham and the Lisbon K9 unit will be present and they will be selling K9 merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, can cozies and wine tumblers. Buddy Schneider will provide live music.
“I hope to see everyone out,” Schneider said.
