Evan Williams Bourbon Announces 2021 American-Made Heroes

Evan Williams Bourbon recently announced the 2021 class of veterans selected as American-Made Heroes. Each of these veterans’ pictures and story about their service will be featured on the side of the special-edition Evan Williams Black Bourbon label.

The American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund will also award support funding through the 2021 Veteran Community Action grants.

This special edition label of Evan Williams Black Bourbon celebrates the heroic stories of military veterans, chosen for their selfless acts of service at home and abroad. This is the first year that invitations were extended to veterans whose affiliate organizations applied through the grant fund process. 

This year’s winners were selected from more than 472 grant applications and are featured on more than 474,000 bottles available nationwide. The bottles have a curved blue label with red and white stripes and stars.

“We are honored to share the stories of this diverse group of veterans who have upheld the American spirit through extraordinary acts of service,” said Julie Cole, Evan Williams Bourbon Senior Brand Manager, in a prepared statement. “Through the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund we are humbled to offer help to organizations that support veterans and lift up these communities.”

The fund focused its inaugural efforts with the COVID-19 Veteran Relief Grant, which awarded more than $70,000 to over 30 nonprofit organizations that supported veterans who were impacted by COVID. So far, Evan Williams recognized 42 veterans on its American Hero Edition bottles and donated more than $375,000 to nonprofits like FOB Hope, Backpacks for Life, Combined Arms, Hero’s Bridge and more.

The Evan Williams American Hero Edition bottle is available nationally in a 1.75L for a suggested retail price of $24.99 and is bottled at 43 percent alcohol by volume (86 proof). More details on each of the 2021 Heroes can be found below and also online.

• Roman Baca, New York, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps: Roman enlisted before 9/11 and went from performing classical ballet to serving with the 25th Marines. His dance training and military training come together at Exit12: a dance company that shares veterans’ stories of survival through powerful performance art. To learn more about Exit12 Dance Company, visit https://exit12danceco.org/.
• Rita Aragon, Oklahoma City, Major General, U.S. Air Force (Ret.): As a young single mother, Rita made the decision to enlist in 1979. She retired after a decorated 28-year career, becoming the first female commander of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Today she continues to serve as Board President of Honoring America’s Warriors. To learn more about Honoring America’s Warriors, visit https://honoringamericaswarriors.org/.
• Antione Hines, Chesapeake, Va., Petty Officer, U.S. Navy (Ret.): Antione served as a Submarine Nuclear Electrician for 10 years and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and the Global War on Terrorism. He is the Founder and CEO of Veteran’s HomeFront – a nonprofit organization supporting homeless, at-risk and disconnected veterans since 2016. To learn more about Veteran’s Homefront, visit https://www.veteranshomefront.vet/.
• Michael Delancy, Pinellas Park, Fla., Lance Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps: While serving with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines in Iraq, Mike came under enemy fire and was awarded the Purple Heart. In 2015 he founded the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch – a wheelchair-accessible sports park designed to inspire veterans to go out and be active. To learn more about the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch, visit https://woundedwarriorsabilitiesranch.org/.
• Joshua Perschbacher, Waterloo, Ill., Petty Officer, U.S. Navy: During his four years in the Navy, Josh completed two deployments to the Middle East as an Operations Specialist. He has dedicated his post-military career to helping veterans access education and professional networking opportunities through his nonprofit, The Vetwork. To learn more about The Vetwork, visit https://www.thevetwork.org/.
• Monique Brown, Tacoma, Wash., Staff Sergeant, U.S. Arm, Army Reserves, and National Guard (Ret.): Monique’s decorated military career included service in the Army National Guard, the Army Reserves, and 13 years of active duty. She retired after 26 years and founded FOB Hope – a nonprofit organization supporting homeless and vulnerable veterans in Washington State. To learn more about FOB Hope, visit https://www.fobhope.org/.