PHOENIX — A Valley brewery is at the forefront of a national campaign to prevent suicide and putting out the call for others to join them.
O.H.S.O. Brewery & Distillery has rebranded one of its popular beers to '988' to spark a conversation about the national suicide and crisis lifeline number.
About four years ago, the O.H.S.O. team lost a friend and co-worker to suicide. It set their owner on a path to prevent it from happening again.
The team thought if they could make the support line more visible, in a place where conversation often flows after a few cold ones between friends, maybe it would help introduce a tough topic that usually isn't brought up. It could also let people who may find themselves in a dark place know who they can call for help.
"This woman went to the bar, saw the number, got home, and called because she was in that place and then wrote a letter saying, 'You saved my life, this beer saved my life,' and it's worth it. One life is worth it," said Director of Sales Cale Aylsworth.
They got the support of the nonprofits behind 988 and started extending the call to more breweries to join their efforts.
"If you go to a bar and they have ten different beers called '988,' hopefully, they say, 'Hey, why do you have ten beers called 988?' Then that conversation starts," said Aylsworth.
Adam Wojcik, Brewery Director of Phoenix Beer Co., has also been touched by loss and said joining the effort to save lives was a no-brainer.
"You wish you'd asked the right questions, and raising awareness and knowing it's OK to ask those questions is really important and powerful," said Wojcik.
You'll find cans, coasters, beer taps, and t-shirts all bearing '988' this month at 26 Arizona breweries, as well as others across 19 other states.
During National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Week, proceeds from many of the 988 brews will go toward that cause.
If you or someone you know is in distress or in need of support, the 988 lifeline is staffed 24/7 and is a free, confidential resource.
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