Raising A Glass And Support For Family And Staff Of Wooden Robot’s Dan Wade
By now, you’ve probably heard the tragic news about Dan Wade, co-founder and head brewer of Charlotte’s Wooden Robot Brewery. Perhaps you’ve even seen the billboards around town paying tribute to Wade following his accidental death on Tuesday, February 20th. He left behind his wife, their newborn son, and countless friends.
The thought of Dan Wade’s baby boy growing up without his father is heartbreaking. However, a GoFundMe was set up to help the Wade family. As a result of Dan’s passing, both the South End and NoDa locations of Wooden Robot Brewery had been closed, so a second GoFundMe was established to support the brewery’s employees. The care and generosity coming from so many kindhearted people in Charlotte and across the entire country show just how much Dan was loved.
I didn’t know Dan Wade personally, but I enjoyed his beer. Many times. Wooden Robot’s South End brewery is just a couple of blocks from our studios. Mel and I heard from our friend, Charles Read, about the efforts to help Wade’s family and staff. Charles and his wife, Cat, own the wonderful Queen City Craft and Gourmet and have strong ties to the local brewing community. He shared these words with us:
“Dan Wade was an incredible guy and an awesome beer maker. A group of almost 200 people got together Friday night (2/23) to celebrate his life and who he was as a person. We were asked at the time to keep this gathering quiet out of respect for his family. As of Friday night the GoFundMe had raised $150,000 for his family, $25,000 for the employees that have been out of work, and the South Carolina Breweries are starting a 529 to pay for his son’s (born on January 1, 2024) college.
It is a terrible situation but Charlotte has really come together to support our friend. More support is necessary going forward but WOW!!! I have not seen an outpouring of support or group gathering like this since pre-Covid and it was an amazing act of support. This has been a really hard week for those of us in the beer industry. We lost a great person this week. Hug the ones you love. You never know when it is the last chance.”
According to Charlotte Magazine, a private memorial service for Dan Wade took place on Monday (2/26) at Temple Beth El in Charlotte. A public vigil will be announced at a later date. That may be an opportunity to raise a glass with others in Dan’s memory. Meanwhile, the amounts raised for his family and staff members have continued to grow since Charles Read wrote to us. You can still contribute to the Wade Family Fund, the Wooden Robot Staff Bereavement Fund, or both.