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BOULDER, Colo — The only blind coffee roaster in Colorado is having a little bit of a tough time, and it has nothing to do with roasting coffee.
Gerry Leary’s budget is strained from paying hundreds of dollars a week on ride sharing apps to get to and from his roasting business location in Meade. When a fundraising organization saw the original Denver7 story profiling Gerry back in August, they decided to step in to help.
“Pretty much takes all the profit out of it,” Leary told Denver7, talking about the $300-$400 per week he spends on a Lyft to Meade.
His coffee shop, The Unseen Bean in downtown Boulder, is barely staying open. He’s lost a few wholesale agreements because he can’t keep his inventory up. Enter ‘Resort 2 Kindness.’
“When we saw the Channel 7 feature back in August, we knew that Gerry would be perfect for our little give,” Kelly Capen of Resort 2 Kindness said.
The organization helps collaborate various fundraisers and combine the donations to give to an individual or group in need. Their yearly “little give” is donated to an individual. This year, it’s Gerry.
“We are hoping to raise at least $10,000 for this give,” Capen said.
“Wow,” Gerry said. He hadn’t heard that number until Denver7’s Jason Gruenauer told him about it Friday.
The money is raised through a combination of individual fundraisers and online contributions. To donate directly, head to https://www.resort2kindness.org/littlegive2018.
One of the in-person fundraisers is being held at a place Gerry has a caffeinated connection with.
“I think every one of the beers we’ve won awards for was made with Gerry’s coffee,” Bob Baile, president of Twisted Pine Brewing Company, told Denver7.
The brewery is holding a “Pints for a Purpose” event all weekend.
“We’re gonna donate a dollar for every (pint) of our espresso stout,” he said.
“That’ll free up the money I’m using for transportation now to put back into the cafe and inventory and getting coffee stocks back up,” Gerry added.
Vapor Distillery, who gets their coffee beans from Unseen Bean, will also be doing a promotion for the Little Give.
- $1.00 for every Arrosta Coffee Liquor drink sold
- $2.00 for every Arrosta Coffee Liquor bottle sold
- Tuesday, December 11 - Sunday, December 16
For more information on Gerry’s company, head over to http://www.theunseenbean.com.