American-made hero: Shalimar vet to be featured on special edition Evan Williams bourbon bottle
SHALIMAR — Evan Williams Bourbon recently honored a Shalimar resident as a 2022 American-Made Hero, making him part of a select group of veterans to be featured on the limited-edition Evan Williams American Hero bottles.
Mike Arena was selected for his 23 years in the Air Force, where he traveled around the world as an operational medic. Today, he is the executive director and co-founder of Healing Paws for Warriors, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.
HPW provides trained service dogs to combat veterans faced with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma at no cost.
The ceremony honoring Arena took place June 12 at Step One Fest at Fort Walton Landing. The event, hosted by Step One Automotive Group, celebrated the community and nonprofits like Healing Paws for Warriors that Step One works with.
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HPW was a recipient of a 2021 Veteran Community Action Grant awarded by the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund. First established in 2020, the fund continues the brand’s support of veteran communities since launching the Evan Williams American-Made Heroes program and limited-edition label in 2015.
To date, the company has recognized 48 veteran heroes on its American Hero edition bottles and has donated $450,000 to nonprofits that support the veteran community across the country.
“As an American-made and American-owned bourbon, we are proud to celebrate the heroic stories of military veterans like Mike, chosen for their selfless acts of service at home and abroad,” said Julie Cole, Evan Williams Bourbon's senior brand manager. “The purpose of the foundation is not only to provide a platform for sharing their inspiring stories, but also raising public awareness for causes impacting the veteran community and supporting nonprofit organizations that help veterans and their families.”
The 2022 limited-edition American Hero bottle is adorned with red and white stripes and stars and prominently features a photo of Mike Arena along with his story of service. Displayed on the side of each bottle is one of the brand’s key taglines “American Owned, American Made, American Proud,” celebrating Evan Williams’ legacy as Kentucky’s first commercial distiller.
More than 400,000 bottles of the Evan Williams American Hero edition are available nationwide, bottled at 86 proof for a suggested retail price of $24.99 for 1.75 liters.
To learn more about each of the 2022 American-Made Heroes and the American-Made Heroes Foundation Fund, visit https://american-madeheroes.com/.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Shalimar veteran, Healing Paws director featured on bourbon bottle
