Drew Wilson
Anheuser Busch stepped up to bring in more than 310,000 cans of clean drinking water to areas of the state affected by Hurricane Irma.
The brewing company made deliveries Friday in Fort Pierce, Orlando and Sarasota and the American Red Cross will handle the final leg of delivery to the people and communities that need it most.
“We are grateful to be in a position to help communities affected by natural disasters by putting our production and logistics strengths to work,” said Bill Bradley, Anheuser-Busch’s Vice President for Community Affairs.
“We halted production at our Cartersville brewery on Labor Day to ensure a ready supply of emergency drinking water and are working with the American Red Cross to distribute the water with the help of our wholesale partners, Southern Eagle Distributing Inc., City Beverages, and Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. Providing safe, clean drinking water is the best way we can help in these situations.”
Anheuser-Busch has a track record of shutting down its brewing operations at unaffected facilities to make sure those in harm’s way have an adequate supply of drinking water.
Last year, the company produced and shipped emergency drinking water to communities hit by natural disasters, including the California wildfires, the Louisiana floods and Hurricane Matthew. Last week alone, Anheuser Busch sent out more than 800,000 cans of emergency drinking water to communities in Texas and Louisiana that are still reeling in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which hit the western Gulf of Mexico late last month.
Anheuser-Busch also announced a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross’ Annual Disaster Giving Program and said it plans to keep an eye on Irma to make sure employees at its five Florida facilities make it through the onslaught safe and sound.
