Anheuser-Busch Launches Nationwide Hurricane Relief Program

In response to the recent plague of hurricanes and tropical storms that have taken numerous lives and caused devastating damage to many states, Anheuser-Busch and its family of independent wholesalers have developed a nationwide program called "Operation Hurricane Relief" to assist in the hurricane relief efforts.

The program is being launched with a $500,000 donation from Anheuser-Busch and will total $1 million through contributions from its nationwide wholesalers. All funds will go toward relief efforts coordinated by the American Red Cross and other relief organizations.

The company already has canned and distributed millions of cans of drinking water for hurricane victims and relief volunteers.

"Families have lost loved ones, as well as their homes and belongings, and tens of thousands have been without electricity and clean drinking water. The devastation over the past few weeks has reached into the billions," said August A. Busch IV, president of Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

"In response to the devastation wrought by the hurricanes, the American Red Cross mobilized a massive relief effort that includes providing emergency food, water and shelter to hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the storm," says Skip Seitz, senior vice president of growth and integrated development of the American Red Cross. "The Red Cross is committed to meeting needs of disaster victims in the weeks and months ahead as they begin their recovery. Donations from generous corporations like Anheuser-Busch are critical to that ongoing relief effort."

"Operation Hurricane Relief" will be supported by regional print advertising, as well as customized point-of-sale to make consumers and shoppers aware of the effort.

To date, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation has donated $1.1 million to hurricane relief efforts in Florida. In addition, Anheuser-Busch has donated an additional $400,000 by supplying more than 4.5 million cans of drinking water to aid the victims and rescue workers. "Operation Hurricane Relief" will increase the total support to $2.5 million.

Helping communities cope with natural disasters has been an Anheuser-Busch tradition since 1906 when Adolphus Busch made a donation to victims of the San Francisco earthquake.

Today, in addition to providing monetary support, Anheuser-Busch breweries package fresh drinking water and donate it to emergency relief organizations for distribution to those in need. In the past five years, Anheuser-Busch has donated more than 40 million cans of water to victims of natural disasters.

Source: Anheuser-Busch