EOD Cellars
Wondering what EOD Cellars is all about? Leon Tackitt served 27 years in the U.S. Navy, most of which he spent as an EOD technician. EOD stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disarming and disposal of bombs. EOD technicians are highly-trained military members serving in the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force. When EOD technicians are wounded, they sustain some of the most severe and often life-changing injuries. Recovery and rehabilitation from these injuries can be extensive and has a significant emotional and financial impact on the injured EOD warrior and their families. For the families of fallen EOD warriors, surviving family members face many changes and challenges in their lives as they grieve the loss of a loved one. The
This is where the EOD Warrior Foundation steps in. The EODWF, benefitting all services, is supported by an indivisible network of EOD family and friends. This support enables wounded EOD warriors and their families and families of fallen EOD warriors to face the future with hope, knowing they are not alone, as they forge a new life and ensures the EOD heroes who make the ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten.
EOD Cellars actually started as a onetime fundraiser. We put together 10 three-bottle wooden boxes with a label Leon designed by himself (it was pretty awful!). We sent out an email stating they were available for $175 apiece, with 50% going to EOD Warrior Foundation; three hours later, they were all gone. Later, Cindy and Leon decided they would do another round for the holiday season. We ordered 32 more of the wooden boxes and made them available with the same 50% fundraising goal. All 32 were gone in about four days.
This is when Leon and Cindy realized they had something that people were interested in. They thought, why don’t we take orders for a prescribed amount of time and then we’ll ship them off. This practice would keep our upfront cost down, and leave more for the foundation. We put the label on the website, and promptly sold 120 three-bottle boxes. Cindy and Leon were in the garage packing boxes for days to put them all together! It wasn’t the greatest business decision, but it raised a lot of money for the EODWF.
Leon then had the idea to do another label, and the “Det Cord White” made its debut as an individual bottle. With some tweaks to the original label, and additions to the varietals, we now sell six kinds of wine for the EOD Cellars line to meet everyone’s tastes. All of the proceeds from the EOD Cellars line and goods are donated to the EOD Warrior Foundation. The EOD Cellars line is a proud supporter of the annual UnDEFEATed Bike Ride and EOD Memorial Weekend.
Join us Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day weekends to try EOD Cellar wines in the tasting room, or for our annual "Warriors Helping Warriors" bottling event in April, with its silent and live auctions, wood-fired pizza, and live music. You won’t want to miss it! You’re welcome to add an EOD Cellars bottle to your wine club shipment; because all of the proceeds are donated, there are no discounts on the EOD Cellars wines.
Find more information and ways to support the EOD Warrior Foundation here.
