'Brewing For A Cause' Fundraiser To Aid First Responder Mental Health

CHICAGO — Horse Thief Hollow Brewing Co. will debut two special brews “Brewing for a Cause: Mental Health for Police Officers and Firefighters,” Saturday, April 30. Proceeds will benefit Re;ACT and Bank the Blue, two organizations that work to provide mental health support, resources and training for first responders.

The party gets going from noon to 3 p.m. at Horse Thief Hollow, 10426 S Western Ave., Chicago. Guest brewers from the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department have each have come up with their own special brews for Saturday’s launch party, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

“Hold the Line” is a Bock developed by guest brewers from the Chicago Fire Department at Horse Thief Hollow, with proceeds going to Re;ACT (Awareness, Counseling, Training). “RDO Cancelled is a Helles-style lager that HTH brewed with volunteers from the Chicago Police Department for Bank the Blue.

These two special brews will be on tap all afternoon. $10 gets you a ticket for a pint of your choice. Try them both and vote your favorite. Two-pack cans are also available for purchase.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, first responders, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services clinicians, and public safety telecommunicators, may be at elevated risk for suicide because of the environments in which they work, their culture, and stress, both occupational and personal.

Twelve suicides have been reported in the Chicago Police Department since 2018. In 2017 a U.S. Department of Justice report found CPD's suicide rate to be 60 percent higher than the national average for police officers.

While firefighter suicides, in general, are not tracked nearly as closely as police officers, a study by Rosecrance estimates that 41 suicides have been identified among active-duty and retired CFD members over a 20-year period.