Murphy Patrick Keenan and Matt Wright have cultivated a civic service mindset ready for outreach in the small community of Copperhill, Tenn. where the flagship brewery, known as “The Smallest Brewery in Tennessee,” Buck Bald Brewing began that has spread to their second home location in downtown Murphy.
On the cusp of seven years of operation, the former computer programmer turned home brewer turned entrepreneur has helped raise funds for the greatest needs in Polk County, Tenn., and is bringing that sense of service with him to the Murphy brewery.
“We worked immediately to create a culture of giving back in Copperhill with fundraising for the elementary and middle schools in Polk County, and providing assistance for Snacks in Backpacks,” Keenan said. “We also worked with the United Way of Ocoee Region and the Boys & Girls Clubs locally.”
That can-do spirit translated beyond a fated meeting at the Copperhill location with Travis Ellis, co-founder of Shepherd’s Men, which provides support to veterans in the Shepherd Center of Atlanta’s SHARE Initiative for post-9/11 U.S. military veterans.
“Although I hadn’t served in the military, my dad was a Vietnam veteran, and when I met Travis I was like, ‘Well, of course, we have to do something, because why wouldn’t I do a fundraiser for something cool like that?’
“You can’t say no to a military charity that helps people, that keeps people from committing suicide,” Keenan said.
That first year’s fundraiser began in the 800-square-foot Tennessee brewery with a silent auction, which continues each year for the event, and has grown organically from there.
Keenan is proud to point out the success of that first year.
“We had Shannon York play, and we did about $11,000 that first year. The coolest thing was it really resonated with our regular customers and they were amazed at the organization and what Shepherd’s Men was doing and we built a real following from that first year,” he said.
“Many of our patrons have skills and talents and donate offerings – such as quilts, metal and wood works – and it’s just grown from there on our Friday auction night. The support of our customers has been so amazing and we hope each year we only continue to grow and be able to raise as many funds as possible.”
Branching out
Joined by Wright, who met Kennan at the Copperhill location after a major heart surgery lead to his permanent move to Murphy, Wright has been the fearless leader of Buck Bald in Murphy.
“My wife and I wound up moving here around 2017, and we’d heard about a new brewery that had opened so we visited. My wife, Laurie, also met Patrick’s wife, Sylvie, and our friendships blossomed,” Wright said.
“I had a major surgery in Atlanta, and my wife’s folks live in Mineral Bluff, so after years of living out West, where my wife worked as a travel ultrasound and echo nurse, we decided to relocate to the area and found Murphy was the best fit.”
Wright described his meeting Keenan as one fan of the brewing process to another in that he “loved what Patrick was doing there.”
Since Wright wasn’t working full time, he offered his help at the brewery to Keenan, who readily accepted the assistance.
Of visiting the brewery, Wright said, “I said I’d love to come in and help you out whenever I can and then, after a while, I asked Patrick what else can we do here, how do you want to grow the brewery and branch out.
“Meeting Travis and becoming involved with the organization led me to think we can make this bigger, and Murphy would be an amazing place to expand to. And the town has been amazing to us, so welcoming and supportive of everything we do and when we came up with the idea of Murphy Music & Brews to supplement Shepherd’s Men, the town has just been so good to us, to work with us to bring this concert to downtown. They’ve welcomed us with open arms and we want to provide a quality event which we hope can only grow.”
With a location secured, the local outlet is celebrating its second year in downtown Murphy, and is already preparing to move to a larger location in the former arts and eclectic items gallery formerly known as The Wherehouse. This move is anticipated by late 2024 or early 2025.
It’s personal
While Keenan describes his father’s experience as a typical trying to transition to civilian life, he is also quick to add that there’s a “strong tie there, as having an understanding of what it’s like to live with someone who’s had these experiences, who’s been through something traumatic and needs some assistance.”
Wright’s experience is more personal, since losing his father to suicide, which he describes with poignancy, strength and grace.
“I come from a military family and having had a father who struggled with some mental illness, and a lot of different difficult things in trying to acclimate to just coming back and normal life and seeing that struggle is personal. There weren’t as many resources then as there are now and to be able to help, to help Shepherd’s Men save lives, to have 100 percent of those donations go to help these men and women who are struggling is amazing,” he said.
“The number 22 (of veterans’ suicides per day) is big, but the number has already increased to around 36, I believe, which means we have to be able to help more people, to raise awareness for this cause, for this charity and the impact it can make in people’s lives.
“There are a lot of people who aren’t going to ask for that help and that’s a very big thing, but if we can help bring awareness and help to those who need it and get them the care they need, then all of this is worth it,” Wright said.
Keenan echoed his friend’s sentiment.
“If it saves someone’s life, someone’s family, it’s more than worth it,” he said.
Bigger and better
Both men want the full-day concert to grow bigger and better each year.
“We’ve had tremendous support from Kevn [Kinney of Drivin N Cryin] and from War Hippies. This year we’ve added Chuck Mead and Cracker, and they’re all people with an interest in seeing the organization flourish,” Keenan said.
Wright added, “We’re just so pleased to grow this each year. We’re doing our 22 Pale Ale again with proceeds benefitting the organization. And this year we brewed a porter for War Hippies called Tears of Our Enemies, so we’re looking to expand both the bands and the brews we offer for the event.”
With the second annual music event in Murphy in the books, the final tallies of proceeds donated and raised won’t be ready for about a month or so, but they fully expect this year to exceed last year’s when Wright mentions “we stopped counting at $125,000.”
The brewery also sells a majority of Shepherd’s Men merchandise at the Murphy location so if you were unable to make it to the event you can still support the organization or find out more information about the help Shepherd’s Men provides to veterans.
Details: Visit buckbaldbrewing.com and shepherdsmen.com.