CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Starr Hill Brewery, Virginia's largest and most award-winning craft brewery, is making a donation to breast cancer foundations for every case sold of its award-winning wheat beer, The Love. 

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121127/CG19268)

The program, "Share the Love," took place throughout Virginia, North Carolina and in Nashville, Tenn.  Every time consumers purchased The Love at bars, restaurants and grocery stores, the brewery made a donation to a local breast cancer foundation.  The program was supported with promotions and point-of-sale materials.

"'Share the Love' is something that's very close to our hearts, and I can't tell you how thrilled we are with the response from wholesalers, retailers and consumers," said Mark Thompson, founder and master brewer of Starr Hill.  "I think almost everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, so we felt it was important to do what we could to contribute to local breast cancer foundations, and the results have just been phenomenal."

The program ran through the month of October and raised more than $3,000 for local breast cancer foundations in Virginia, North Carolina and Nashville, Tenn.

"Starr Hill is a company committed to helping local communities where they do business, and we couldn't be more pleased with 'Share the Love' and all the people that helped make it happen," said Meg Shrader, Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation Board President.  "In the past few years so much progress has been made in breast cancer research and treatment, but we still have a long way to go.  Programs like this raise money and just as importantly, raise awareness which is critical for early detection."

"Share the Love" originally began in February 2012 in Virginia.  Starr Hill and Virginia Eagle Distributing operated the program at participating retailers throughout Charlottesville and Harrisonburg.  The program raised more than $5,000 in just over a month for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation.  Starr Hill will continue to support this program across its entire footprint in February to coincide with Valentine's Day.

The Love is an award-winning German-style hefeweizen with hints of banana and clove.  Its hazy golden color and light body make The Love very refreshing.  The Love was awarded a silver medal in the German Hefeweizen category at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival.

Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Mark Thompson and Kristin Dolan.  The company brews more than 20 brands of beer representing a variety of beer styles.  Starr Hill brands are distributed in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

Founded in 1991, the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF) is the only statewide non-profit organization in Virginia committed solely to the eradication of breast cancer through education and advocacy.  Each year we reach thousands of individuals at the community level with accurate, up-to-date information on breast cancer early detection, diagnosis, treatment, research, legislation, and survivorship.  To learn more about VBCF, please visit www.vbcf.org

For further information, contact:
Paul Byrne (314) 737-1847
Paul.byrne@byrnecommunicationsllc.com
Twitter: @Byrnepr

SOURCE Starr Hill Brewery