WHEATLAND – The third annual Western Coffee “Brewing For A Cause” will begin next week and run from May 1 – 6 at the new location where event organizer Becky Hilty is excited about helping local people who are battling cancer.

A cup of coffee here and a cup of coffee there in Platte County hopes to yield a great bounty in the weeklong “Brewing for a cause” which was set up by local business woman Hilty who owns Western Coffee Co. in Wheatland.

“It is with a grateful heart to express to Platte County that last year we received almost $17,000 in donations for the Brewing for a Cause,” Hilty said. “This year we hope to do well again. Without our patrons and these fantastic businesses, we would not be able to pull off another successful year.”

Hilty’s motto, “Western Coffee Co., where coffee and community come together,” has rung true and has been a blessing for so many people in need. It also gives the community a sense of accomplishment to be able to help our own neighbors who are struggling with an illness.

“We donate personally a dollar per cup,” Hilty said. “We do sell other things like pastries and stuff, but the drinks, we a dollar per cup and then last year we had many businesses that came in along side of us and donated so much per day or also matched our donations per cup. We also had people who would just come to the hut just to donate on that day. Everyday we’ll have a box there at the hut and whoever wants to donate on top of getting a drink will put it into that day’s fund. We will take anyone’s donations each day.”

There is no designation as to the use of funds that are donated.

Again this year, the Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative which took the place of the Susan G. Komen which left Wyoming will be the end of the week grand finale and coffee sold on Friday and Saturday will go to this impactful organization.

They (WBCI) do several things including several runs throughout Wyoming and then they do this weekend thing that is called ‘cups 4 cups,’ and it’s encouraged to be promoted through drink places. Basically, they are asking for a donation per cup of what you sell for two days.

According to Hilty, WBCI started up because there was such a great need.

“Wyoming ranks actually like 49th in women taking care of themselves for breast cancer ,” Hilty said. “During our fundraiser which lasts a weeklong, what it is basically is that for those two days, May 5-6, I support them (WBCI) and the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we do things here in Platte County for cancer.”

On Monday donations from all drinks sold will go toward the Mary Von Forell Fund. Von Forell died of cancer several years ago but according to Hilty, before her death, she wanted to set up a fund for people and the ways to give back as the community had given to her. She set up a fund to provide gas cards for cancer patients so they can travel back and forth to wherever they need to receive treatment. Platte Valley Bank holds the actual cards and they also distribute them to the hospital and to the clinics in Wheatland. 

On Day Two, (May 2) Brewing for a cause will support the Greg Garton Scholarship Fund.

“Greg died of cancer five years ago in June, and his wife, Kathy gives a scholarship for continuing education to a high school senior,” Hilty said. “Normally she gives out one to two scholarships, but in 2021 because of the drive we did for this, she was able to give out six scholarships, and last year she was also able to give six, so that was pretty incredible. Also, with Kathy, whatever we give her, it goes right back out toward scholarships for the kids. That’s one of the things I love about her.”

Garton was an educator in Wheatland for many years prior to his death.

On May 3 this year, a new organization will be added to the weeklong list. It is in honor of former Mayor Joe Fabian who died of cancer in 2016.

“They have a scholarship at the Dance Studio set up in his honor by his wife, Linda,” Hilty said. “They give one of their senior dance students a scholarship for college every year. They also have funding for people that are wanting to send their children into continuing arts programs but can’t afford it.”

The fourth person honored this year was Dallin Gunter who died of cancer as just a child. Funds were received May 4, and a fund was set up at Platte Valley Bank in the name of the Dallin Gunter Pay It Forward Fund. Gunter was a hug Starwars fan and so Hilty knew it was appropriate to raise funds for “May the 4th (be with you).”

“We’re coming into partnership with Dallin Gunter,” Hilty said. “Dallin was a little boy who died of cancer in 2014 and this would have been his senior year at Wheatland High School. We are partnering with them to create kind of like a “Make-A-Wish” but exclusively for Platte County.”

The weekend of Brewing For A Cause was designated to help support Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative.

“They help with women that cannot afford to get mammograms or need supplies and reconstructive surgery,” Hilty said. “They also help with transportation, housing. All of these families still live here in Platte County and are a vital part of our county, known by so many people.”

This is solely put on by Western Coffee and came from a dream that Hilty had to find another way to help the community. At a new location, Hilty said she was a little nervous as to the amount of traffic they have had in the past, but with the extra window in the new location and the purchase of an additional machine, she was confident that it would run smoothly and efficiently. 

Going into their fourth year of ownership, Becky Hilty, from day one had it in her mind that their coffee company would be successful enough that it would need room to grow.

After months of building and planning, the grand opening of the new Western Coffee Company came to fruition with a ribbon cutting ceremony and welcome from the Platte County Chamber of Commerce.

Western Coffee Company that was in a smaller building on Gilchrist Street were outgrowing that building from the moment they opened. The new building and expanded parking area is now located at 86 16th Street in Wheatland, directly across from the Maverick gas station.

“It was too busy and too crowded for the girls,” Hilty said. “To be able to produce good, effective times to get drinks out we needed bigger facilities. We will be able to do more for the community. We had the idea for expansion immediately. Robert and Bruce (Hilty) owned this lot for a while and wanted to do something with it. So they toyed with the idea of whether or not to put a sit-down here or another drive through.”

The Hilty family decided to just expand the drive through space and they have added additional parking spaces.

Although the idea has been there for almost four years, construction did not begin until May of 2022.

“They put all the water in and then laid the foundation in May,” she said. “Then the building started going up immediately, as fast as we could. Within two weeks we had a shell.”

The project took approximately seven months to completion… just in time for Brewing For a Cause to officially get underway for 2023.

Fund Information:

Mary Von Forell fund: A community fund at Platte Valley Bankd that helps cover expenses for gas, meals and lodging when traveling for medical appointments. (Funds received May 1)

Greg Garton Scholarship Fund: A local scholarship for college students in memory of Greg Garton. (Funds received May 2)

Joe Fabian Memorial fund: Funds set up at the Wyoming Dance Studio with money going toward a scholarship for one of their senior dancers and they also help fund parents who want to put their children through continuing education in the arts. (Funds received May 3)

Dallin Gunter Pay It Forward fund: A local fund to help the family establish a Make-A-Wish type fund exclusively for Platte County kids in need. This fund is set up at Platte Valley Bank. (Funds received May 4)

Cups 4 Cups: A fundraiser set up by the Wyoming Breast Cancer Initiative which is a nonprofit organization with a mission to increase breast cancer awareness and prevention across Wyoming. (Funds received May 5-6)