Locals provide hand sanitizer for first responders

What do you get when you cross a butterfly and a bottle of hooch? Hand sanitizer, of course, and lots of it!

A few local non-profit groups and some area businesses are working together to provide two free bottles of hand sanitizer for every first responder in Mineral, Sanders and Missoula counties.

The idea came out of the current COVID 19 pandemic. Hand sanitizer has quickly become a much more valuable commodity and large amounts are needed as soon as possible for first responders such as emergency medical technicians, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, emergency room nurses and providers.

Joint Operation Mariposa of Plains and Steel Toe Distillery in Potomac entered the picture to see what they could accomplish.

Mariposa, which means butterfly in Spanish, is a non-profit organization formed in 2015 to bring awareness to the needs of veterans in Sanders County through advocacy, art, and education.

“Mariposa stands for the changing from a military member to a civilian and sometimes that’s hard for people,” Mariposa vice president Ed Foste said. “It’s a readjustment to society and civilian life.”

Steel Toe Distillery is a family run business located in Potomac, owned and operated by Carl and Christina Bock. It’s a genuine “Mom and Pop” business. All recipes are sugar-based liquors, crafted after what was called “good” whiskey.

This was made by American moonshiners and reserved for weddings and themselves.

Today, they distill Uncle Carl’s Whiskey (the mainstay of the production line), a gin, a liqueur and four varieties of vodka.

Interestingly enough, the switch over to make a sanitization gel isn’t too difficult.

“The process requires lots of permits and time to make the switch,” said Christina Bock. “But because of the pandemic, the World Health Organization told distilleries that if we followed their strict recipe, then the red tape would be lifted, and we could start production immediately.”

Then Sam Redfern of United States of Hope in Missoula got involved. Hope was created to improve and bless the lives of families and individuals impacted by war, economic challenge, and natural disaster.

Redfern is on board for additional distribution of the hand sanitizer with his team.

Tim Hul, of Hul’s Dairy in Corvallis, and Darigold donated 200 one-half gallon jugs to fill the smaller bottles.

“Denatured alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and glycerol are the main ingredients,” Block said. “We could add a lemon scent but that will take longer, and we need to get to work,” Block added.

All ingredients, bottling and everyone’s time is volunteered and donated proving once again how rural America pulls together during tough times.

The first bottles will be distributed in mid-April.