Friday morning will begin like many others across Grants Pass. Cars will line up outside local Dutch Bros stands before sunrise, coffee orders will be called out through smiling windows, and thousands of residents will begin their day with a familiar routine. But on May 15, that morning coffee once again carries a deeper meaning across Southern Oregon.
Dutch Bros’ annual “Drink One for Dane” fundraiser returns Friday, bringing with it one of the most heartfelt traditions tied to the company’s history and the community where it all began. For every drink sold at participating locations throughout the day, Dutch Bros will donate one dollar toward the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
For many outside Oregon, Dutch Bros has become a nationally recognized coffee company with locations stretching across the United States. But for residents of Grants Pass, the story remains personal. Long before the company became a publicly traded business with more than a thousand locations nationwide, it was simply two brothers trying to build something of their own in Southern Oregon.
In 1992, brothers Travis and Dane Boersma arrived in Grants Pass after the family dairy business faced difficult economic challenges. Looking for a fresh start, the brothers purchased an espresso machine, set up a small pushcart in downtown Grants Pass, and began serving coffee to the local community. What started as a modest operation quickly became something larger, built on customer relationships, energy, positivity, and a culture that felt different from traditional coffee shops at the time.
Residents who remember the early years often recall seeing Travis and Dane working directly with customers, learning names, building friendships, and becoming part of the fabric of the community. Dutch Bros was never just about coffee. It became known for supporting local causes, youth organizations, schools, sports teams, nonprofits, and families facing hardships throughout Southern Oregon.
Over the years, the company expanded rapidly throughout Oregon and eventually across the country, but Grants Pass remained tied to the identity of Dutch Bros in a way few companies ever maintain with their hometown roots.
That connection became even more meaningful after Dane Boersma was diagnosed with ALS. The progressive neurological disease affects nerve cells controlling voluntary muscle movement and currently has no known cure. Dane passed away in 2009, but his impact on the company, its employees, and the community remained deeply felt.
Not long after his passing, Dutch Bros launched “Drink One for Dane” as a way to honor his memory while helping families affected by ALS. The fundraiser has since become one of the company’s most recognized annual events, raising millions of dollars over the years for research, patient care, advocacy programs, and support services through the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
For many Grants Pass residents, the fundraiser serves as more than a charitable event. It has become a yearly reminder of where Dutch Bros came from and how closely connected the company still remains to the people who helped support it during its earliest days.
This year’s fundraiser also carries renewed attention after Dutch Bros announced it would return to its traditional donation model. In 2025, the company moved to a flat donation structure that drew questions from longtime supporters who had grown familiar with the original per-drink fundraising approach. For 2026, Dutch Bros confirmed that one dollar from every drink sold Friday will once again go directly toward ALS-related efforts.
Throughout the years, Dutch Bros has continued to support numerous community causes across Oregon and beyond. From local school programs and youth organizations to disaster relief efforts, food drives, nonprofit partnerships, and emergency assistance campaigns, the company has built much of its public identity around charitable involvement and community outreach.
In Southern Oregon especially, many residents have watched Dutch Bros evolve from a hometown coffee stand into one of Oregon’s most recognizable business success stories. Yet despite its national growth, the company’s roots remain closely tied to Grants Pass and the people who helped shape its early culture.
Friday’s event is expected to bring large crowds to Dutch Bros locations throughout the region as residents once again rally around a fundraiser that blends community support with remembrance. Customers participating in the event will also receive commemorative stickers while supplies last, continuing another tradition associated with “Drink One for Dane.”
For many in Oregon, especially those who live, or have lived in Grants Pass long enough to remember the company’s beginnings, the fundraiser represents something increasingly rare in modern business; a nationally successful company still connected emotionally to the town where it started.
As another “Drink One for Dane” day begins Friday morning, the lines at local Dutch Bros stands will likely stretch long once again. But behind every cup served throughout the day remains a story rooted in family, resilience, community support, and the lasting legacy of a hometown business that never fully forgot where it came from.