This Father’s Day, Buffalo Trace Distillery Gives Back to Kentucky Dads in an Unexpected Way

Buffalo Trace Distillery launched Fathers of Frankfort in an effort to assist new dads. (Photo: Buffalo Trace Distillery)

Buffalo Trace Distillery announced in a news release on Thursday the launch of a new mentorship program geared toward new or expecting first-time fathers in conjunction with Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

The program aims to have experienced fathers engage with expecting fathers before their children are born in an effort to have new dads play a more active role in their child’s life from birth to adulthood.

Opportunities to support this program are slated to begin in July, starting with the Coaches for the Kids fundraiser dinner. The event will be hosted by the Coaches for the Kids Foundation and University of Kentucky Football Coach Mark Stoops. The distillery will donate a rare O.F.C. three vintage flight which is set to go up for auction.

The flight includes a bottle each of OFC ’93, OFC ’94 and OFC ’95, which are some of the oldest vintage-dated bourbons ever released from the distillery. The proceeds will be used to support initiatives for the program.

Frankfort, Kentucky has a child maltreatment rate of 26.6 per 1,000 children — three times higher than the national average. Fathers of Frankfort hopes to change that.

“Paternal engagement improves a child’s physical and mental health, including reducing the risk of child maltreatment and improving long-term outcomes,” said Dr. Scottie Day, Physician in Chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital in a news release.

For the inaugural Fathers of Frankfort mentor class, Fifteen Buffalo Trace team members and local dads will be paired together with a vision to expand classes as the program progresses.

Benefits for prospective mentees include gifts throughout the year geared towards helping them transition into parenthood. One such gift includes a bespoke toy chest made by Buffalo Trace Distillery’s “Whiskey Woodcraft” team.

“Like some of the best things in life, both whiskey and the relationship with a child only gets better with age,” said Head of Marketing at Buffalo Trace Distillery, Sara Saunders.

Fathers of Frankfort also intends to support charitable initiatives with financial and resource donations.

“It takes a devoted team to help mature the award-winning products at Buffalo Trace Distillery, and it also takes a passionate team to raise a child,” Saunders concluded. “We are honored to work alongside Kentucky Children’s Hospital to help the dads in our community raise children who mature into supported, engaged and successful adults.”

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