BUFFALO, N.Y. — A local business owner is using the machinery at his brewery to lend a helping hand to Buffalo's first responders.
Steve Bystran in the owner of Lakeward Spirits, which is located on Vandalia Street in South Buffalo. He decided to start making hand sanitizer when he heard about how much of a need there was in the community.
He donated 330 gallons of hand sanitizer, made at his brewery, to the Buffalo Fire Department and Buffalo Police Department. The containers equal approximately 10,560 small bottles of hand sanitizer.
"They're touching people, they're touching us to protect us every day. They need to protect themselves and their families. We happen to be able to make this stuff. It's a little bit different than we normally make, vodka gin, rum the fun stuff. Unfortunately, we have this problem and we felt powerless but we thought that we could help in some way and we wanted to try and get it in the right people's hands," Bystran said at a news conference Wednesday.
Some of the donations will also be given to local medical facilities to help those who are helping care for COVID-19 patients.
Bystran says also said he plans on making some of this hand sanitizer available to the public beginning next week.
On Tuesday, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer announced that it would be producing its own hand sanitizer as demand continues to rise.