December 14, 2018—The Clay County Economic Council awarded Dubious Claims Brewing Company a Clay County Keystone award this week for their efforts to make Clay County a better place to live and work.
Owner Neil Wilkerson said the award means so much to him. He said the because the community’s response to their Celebrity Bartender events helped them win the award, he wanted to thank the community.
“The good people of Excelsior Springs is what made that happen,” he said.
Dubious Claims Manager Jae Juarez and Owner Neil Wilkerson toast the recently awarded Keystone Award. Wilkerson said he wants to give back to the community that gave so much to him. Kimberely Blackburn | Staff photo
Started in August, the celebrity bartenders events brought in community members who wished to raise money for various causes important to the community. To this date, the project which Manager Jae Juarez created, raised almost $23,000 for causes close to the heart of those in the Excelsior Springs community
Juarez said she first started thinking of the events after the Wilkerson and his wife Kristy said in her job interview how much they wanted to give back to the community. They wanted to truly make an impact, she said.
“The celebrities I came up with were a list of people who I knew were movers and shakers in the community who had Excelsior Springs on their minds and hearts,” she said.
Wilkerson said the community gave so much in making his dream possible, he wanted to give back to them.
The CCEC held the award presentations at Harrah’s North Kansas City Hotel and Casino Tuesday. They honored twelve private businesses and more than 12 public projects for their efforts to make Clay County a better place to live and work.
Other Keystone Award recipients included: iWerx-Gladstone co-working center, Summit Grill in Gladstone, McCrite Plaza at Briarcliff in Kansas City, Northland Park I, II, III and IV in Kansas City, StorTropolis Self-Storage in Kansas City, Hunt Midwest SubTropolis in Kansas City, Gunsmiths of Liberty, LLC in Lawson, B & B Theatre in Liberty, Norterre in Liberty, Cerner’s Experience Center in North Kansas City and GrowSafe Systems Ltd. in Smithville.
Juarez said nothing would be possible without their amazing staff. She said it would also not be possible without all their regular customers. Since opening, Juarez said some regulars have come in and told them how much Excelsior Springs needed a place like Dubious Claims. No business can survive without its regulars, she said.
Wilkerson always wanted them to become a destination location, she said, and they see that beginning to happen. Often, residents from other community including Liberty, Blue Springs and Kansas City come in because they heard about Dubious Claims and wanted to check it out.
Wilkerson said he feels others often leave Excelsior Springs out. This award got the city recognized.
“I want to thank the good people of Excelsior Springs,” he said. “I want to thank the city for making my dream come true and I look forward to having many more opportunities to give back to the community.”