Oklahoma Distillery Donates Hand Sanitizer To First Responders

The Cane Creek Distillery in Boynton, Oklahoma went from making whiskey, to making hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Steve Allen and his crew have seen customers from all over the state in recent weeks, but the business has also donated more than 300 gallons of sanitizer to area first responders.

"We have donated to about every sheriff's department and volunteer fire department and EMS," said Allen.

The sanitizer contains ethanol, glycerol and hydrogen peroxide, as well as distilled water. The demand has been huge.

"We have been putting in long hours, sometimes, 15-18 hours some nights," Allen said.

Customers are buying small or large bottles of sanitizer.

"I can't believe everyone is scrambling," said Teresa James.

Teresa James works in the medical field, and even she's having a hard time finding sanitizer in the usual places. 

"It's so hard for our patients and anyone to find it, so we thought we would come out here and give it a try," said James.

When Cane Creek realized how serious the situation was, they knew they had the perfect set up to help and jumped into action. Muskogee County Commissioner Kenny Payne says it's amazing to see how one small business can have such a positive impact on so many people.

"I just had some older people in my family that needed some, and I bought five or six of them," said Payne.

Cane Creek said there's no way the distillery could've produced so much sanitizer without the help of the Missouri Ridge Distillery in Branson and lots of local businesses providing gallon jugs, bottles, totes and more. Cane Creek Distillery is open 9:00 a.m. until dark, seven days a week. Allen said they'll keep making sanitizer as long as the need is there.