Tito’s Vodka is giving away free hand sanitizer in Dallas on Thursday, July 16

Nearly 45,000 bottles of hand sanitizer will be donated to members of the Dallas community on Thursday, July 16, in Fair Park. The freebies come from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a Texas-based spirits company that started making hand sanitizer in March in an effort to increase the supply of disinfectants during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tito’s had previously donated hand sanitizer to people in nursing homes, food banks and hospitals in at least 30 states. The company more recently handed out free hand sanitizer to community members in Austin on July 2.

“Given the rise of COVID-19 cases in Texas and knowing that sanitizer is an essential tool in keeping our communities safe, we want to supply residents in our home state as much as we can,” said Taylor Berry, vice president of brand marketing at Tito’s Handmade Vodka, in a statement.

Tito’s originally committed to making 24 tons of hand sanitizer, when Texans first saw a shortage in March. That number has ballooned to more than 325 tons of hand sanitizer, says Tito’s website.

Other Texas spirits companies like Nue Vodka have also made hand sanitizer for first responders.

In early March, Tito’s was caught in the middle of a panic over its intoxicating product. Some consumers were using its vodka to sanitize their hands — which was not recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It wasn’t recommended by Tito’s, either, and the company found itself correcting misinformed consumers on social media. Tito’s is made with 40% alcohol and the CDC recommends that alcohol-based hand rubs are made with at least 60% alcohol.

A few weeks after the confusion, Tito’s was handing out hand sanitizer that complies with the CDC’s recommendations.

Spokespeople for Tito’s wouldn’t explain how much the company is spending to produce and distribute the free hand sanitizer. Despite the financial challenges that many Americans are feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Dallas Morning News’ business reporters found that some of the wealthiest Texans saw their net worths grow significantly during this time. Bert “Tito” Beveridge, the founder of Tito’s, has seen an increase of $951 million from mid-March to mid-June.

Details on free hand sanitizer in Dallas

Tito’s plans to give away 44,000 bottles of 375 mL hand sanitizer on Thursday, July 16, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., or until they run out. Attendees will enter Gate 2 in Fair Park, at the corner of Perry and Haskell avenues.

Cars, bikes and pedestrians are allowed to get in line starting at 9 a.m. — but not before. Each vehicle is expected to get three bottles for free. The person receiving the sanitizer needs to be 18 years of age or older.

Attendees will be required to stay in their vehicles, and everyone on site is asked to wear a mask.

Find other details here.

For more news about the food industry in Dallas, follow Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.