Park City, UT, April 21, 2020 – Today, specialty online retailer Backcountry announces that the company has partnered with Salt Lake City-based distillery, Distillery 36, to produce hand sanitizer for several northern Utah homeless outreach centers. The companies will produce 100 gallons of hand sanitizer and distribute to Salt Lake City’s at-risk homeless population and front-line homeless service workers.

Backcountry CEO Jonathan Nielsen:

“Now is a pivotal time to come together as a community and support our greater Salt Lake City organizations and individuals that have the greatest need in this crisis. The Utah Governor’s Office has identified a critical need for personal protective equipment in short supply, including hand sanitizer, with several homeless organizations in the Salt Lake City region. Together with our partner, Distillery 36, we hope to make a difference in the community in this unprecedented time.”

Distillery 36 Owner and Founder Jensen Dobbs:

“Once we realized we had the capabilities to produce hand sanitizer, it wasn’t a matter of if we would do it, but how quickly we could do it.  My business partner and distiller, Creed Law, committed our stills to 100% hand sanitizer production immediately and started giving back to the community.  By teaming up with Backcountry, a local Utah company, we are able to give back to the greater Salt Lake City community that supports us, both in good times and in bad.”

Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Fox:

“From the beginning of this crisis, I have been inspired by the selfless acts of countless Utah businesses. The partnership between Backcountry and Distillery 36 to produce and donate hand sanitizer for our homeless community is a prime example of what we are known for here in Utah: service, collaboration, and community. We couldn’t be more grateful for this effort and I am confident that, together, we will overcome this pandemic and become even stronger as a state.”

Hand sanitizer donations will be provided to homeless service organizations in northern Utah, including:

  • The Road Home
    • South Salt Lake Men’s Resource Center
    • Midvale Family Shelter
    • Palmer Court
  • Volunteers of America Utah Youth Resource Centers
    • Geraldine King Resource Center
  • Catholic Community ServicesGail Miller resource center
    • Saint Vincent De Paul food kitchen and overflow shelter
  • The Rescue Mission
  • Fourth Street Clinic

Utah is home to more than 6,000 individuals experiencing homelessness, many of whom are at greater risk for infection due to lack of access to hygiene and sanitation facilities or connection to healthcare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Earlier this month, Backcountry launched a donation platform and a T-shirt fundraiser to raise funds for additional production of non-medical grade face masks for Utah’s at-risk homeless outreach programs. In conjunction with the launch of the fundraising platforms, the company partnered with a Los Angeles-based manufacturer to produce non-medical grade face masks for New York’s homeless population and front-line Department of Homeless Services workers, as well as its own team members in its Utah and Virginia distribution centers. As of today, Backcountry has raised $65,600 and donated more than 20,000 additional masks to shelters and other service providers.