Treating our troops: Armed forces get free coffee & baked good July 4-5

Erway family again sponsoring military salute

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

While most people think of July 4 as a time to celebrate America, independence and freedom, Joel Erway hopes you’ll also consider the contingent of people who’ve made those things possible.

“The military has always had a close place in my heart,” he said. “I've got quite a few family members that are part of the military. My brother-in-law is part of the military. I've got cousins. I've got uncles. And, I mean, we all have people that serve.”

He explained, “We have no idea what these people go through; we can only imagine. We hear what's on the news. We hear probably a lot of the bad stuff, but there's a lot of good that happens. And these people are putting their lives on hold. They're postponing their families. Some are giving the ultimate sacrifice. And I just want people to know that we do appreciate it, and it doesn't go without notice.

“That was important to me. That's the main reason why I wanted to do something five years ago when we started” to offer military members a free coffee and a pastry.

The Erway family’s fifth annual salute to soldiers will take place next Friday and Saturday, July 4-5, with military members welcome to one free coffee and one free pastry at the Orange Cat Coffee Co., 703 Center St., Lewiston.

“It's simple; it's a positive gesture,” Erway said. “I hear about it not all year, but I do hear about it regularly. And people are like, ‘Hey, my dad went here.’ Or, you know, ‘I've got friends that went and they brought their family members.’ It's just a way for them to get together – they make it a family event, which is pretty cool. People are doing it in all sorts of ways. Those are great stories we hear.”

To qualify for the free treats, active, former and retired military members are asked to identify themselves when placing their order.

Erway expects to serve the 1,000^th participating soldier this time around.

He said the initiative has become popular with those who served this country.

“We get so many stories of people who now block it out – like, they plan for this every single year,” Erway said.

“People, they've saved it in their calendars. They've marked it.

“After the first year, the second year, some veterans told their friends out west who they haven't seen in 20-25 years. And they flew back specifically for this event to reunite with some of their buddies. That's incredible.

“It doesn't necessarily need to grow, but it grows in memories. People, they lock it in; they plan for it. So, the more the merrier. That's great. But those stories are incredible.”

“I was in here (at the Orange Cat) probably six months ago, and there was a veteran who was ordering coffee,” Erway said. “He looked over and he kept staring at me, and so he stopped me. He's like, ‘I'm sorry. Do you run that event on the Fourth of July?’ I said, ‘Oh, yeah; we sponsor it.’ And so, he just stopped and thanked me. We had a short conversation.

“There's a lot of people who come here regularly and they appreciate it.”

“It's fun,” said Erway, a Lewiston business/marketing author and podcast host. “We enjoy doing it. It's super simple – it's just a simple way for us to give back. It means a lot to us, and we enjoy doing this.”

Orange Cat proprietor Michael Broderick said, “All of us here at Orange Cat are grateful for the chance to spend a few days to honor and salute all of the men and women who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces.

“The Erway family has spearheaded this event for five years now and it's been amazing to watch it grow and continue to spawn so many wonderful, heartfelt connections.

“So many veterans and their family members have expressed sincere appreciation throughout the years – not for the free drinks, but for what this event has meant for them personally. It's truly an honor to serve those who have served all of us.”