Mill Street Brewery Donates $65,000 to Earth Day Canada at Annual Gala

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 12, 2014) -

Editors Note: A photo for this release will be available on the Canadian Press picture wire via Marketwired.

Mill Street Brewery made a $65,000 donation to long-term environmental partner, Earth Day Canada on Wednesday, June 11^th at the annual Earth Day Gala. The donation was the result of Mill Street's annual "Pint for the Planet" campaign where 50 cents was donated from every six-pack sold at the LCBO in Ontario between March 30^th and April 26^th. Select retailers in Alberta and British Columbia also took part in the initiative.

To date, the Mill Street Pint for the Planet fundraiser has raised more than $300,000 for Earth Day Canada.

Steve Abrams, Co-Founder of Mill Street Brewery presented Deb Doncaster, President of Earth Day Canada and Ayal Lesh, Director of Programs with a recyclable cheque at The Beer Hall at Mill Street Brew Pub where the gala was held. "We're very conscious of our environmental footprint and do our best to implement sustainable practices at Mill Street" says Abrams. "Earth Day Canada has significantly helped to increase environmental awareness in the craft beer community. We're proud to support EDC and will continue to be inspired by their important work."

The annual fundraising campaign began with a concert series to coincide with Earth Hour called "Lights Out with Mill Street". Featuring live, acoustic performances from Indie Week Canada musicians, Mill Street Brewery and Earth Day Canada hosted the candlelit events in more than 60 venues across Ontario. Donations were made by the pint during the launch, and made up a portion of this year's $65,000 donation.

President of Earth Day Canada, Deb Doncaster, elated after receiving the Mill Street donation, said "We are proud of our ongoing partnership with Mill Street Brewery. Not only do they financially support our work, they are also genuinely committed to minimizing their own environmental impact."

Earlier in the evening, Abrams announced the 2014 recipient of the Hometown Heroes Small Business award recognizing environmental leaders who foster meaningful, long-term community awareness and action. The $5,000 cash prize was awarded to Calstone Inc., a family-run furniture company with a Remanufacturing Program that will guarantee their manufactured products will never see a landfill site. The award is made possible through Mill Street Brewery and the RBC Foundation.

Mill Street Brewery has an ongoing reputation as an environmental leader in the craft brewing industry and currently supports more than 20 environmental groups. Mill Street introduced Ontario's first certified organic lager in 2002 and is Canada's largest purchaser of organic barley malt.

About Mill Street

Mill Street Brewery was founded in Toronto's historic Distillery District in December 2002. Connecting Canada's proud brewing heritage with today's innovative craft beer scene, Mill Street has been named "Canadian Brewery of the Year" at the Canadian Brewing Awards on three separate occasions. With brewpub locations in Toronto and Ottawa, including The Beer Hall at Mill Street Brewery, Mill Street has a unique selection of craft beers available year-round at liquor stores, bars and restaurants across Canada, including: Original Organic Lager, Tankhouse Ale, Belgian Wit Beer, Lemon Tea Beer, Cobblestone Stout, Vanilla Porter and the latest release, the 100^th Meridian Organic Amber Lager.

About Earth Day Canada

Earth Day Canada (EDC), a national environmental charity founded in 1990, provides Canadians with the practical knowledge and tools they need to lessen their impact on the environment. In 2004, it was recognized as the top environmental education organization in North America, for its innovative year-round programs and educational resources, by the Washington-based North American Association for Environmental Education, the world's largest association of environmental educators. In 2008, it was chosen as Canada's "Outstanding Non-profit Organization" by the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication. EDC regularly partners with thousands of organizations in all parts of Canada. To donate to EDC, please visit earthday.ca/donate.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20140612-mill_street_brewery_june12.jpg