Westborough- Julio’s Liquors has raised $5,000 for Shriners Hospitals for Children with the help of its annual Go! Whisk(e)y Festival. The nearly week-long event was celebrated from Feb. 27 through March 1. A highly anticipated event in the world of whiskey, funds for Shriners were raised through donations during the event, with contributions then matched by Julio’s Liquors.
Julio’s most recent contribution to Shriners is just one of a handful of donations though the years. The liquor store has been raising funds for Shriners for the past five years. This year, the funds raised will go directly to Shriners’ transportation fund. The transportation fund helps to move children, by whatever means necessary, all over the world to the necessary hospitals to get the care they need.
The Go Whisk(e)y Festival ran for a total of five days, and featured seminars, tastings, and activities. The event had a total of two dinners, 14 whiskey seminars, and two tastings. The largest event was the Gram Dram tasting, which had 400 expressions available for tasting and had 1,000 attendees.
Also present was Jim McEwan, the master distiller of Bruichladdich Distillery. Julio’s Loch & K(e)y Whisk(e)y Society was proud to present McEwan with the 2015 K(e)yholder Award. According to the Society, recipients of the award are “bestowed the honor of Key Holder in the Loch & K(e)y Society for their appreciation and commitment to the virtues of whisk(e)y.”
With a total of over 2,000 visitors over the course of the event, Julio’s Go Whisk(e)y Festival is one of the largest whiskey festivals on the East Coast.
“We were thrilled about the turnout,” said Julio’s owner, Ryan Maloney. “ Every year the event gets bigger and better. We were even more excited to be able to help the Shriners Hospitals, and to be able to spread the word about the great work that they do.”
Founded in 1922, the Shiners Hospitals for Children works to transform the lives of children by providing exceptional healthcare services in a friendly, family oriented environment. For more information about Shriners Hospitals for Children, visit www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
Founded in 1974, Julio’s Liquors is located at 140 Turnpike Road in Westborough. The liquor superstore boasts over 20,000 square feet and an extensive and specialized selection of beer, wine, spirits, tobacco, hot sauces, and gourmet foods. To learn more about Julio’s Liquors and the Loch & Key Whiskey Society, visit www.juliosliquors.com.