Jacob Ogles
One of Southwest Florida’s biggest beer distributors will tap into its expertise to bring water to Helene victims.
Gold Coast Eagle Distributing and Anheuser-Busch are delivering clean drinking water to storm-struck areas in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
“The Gold Coast Eagle team contacted all emergency response centers in both counties and let them know we would deliver the emergency drinking water to wherever needed,” said Gold Coast Eagle Distributing President Andrea Saputo.
The beverage distributor also said it contacted elected officials — including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan and Greg Steube, state Sen. Jim Boyd and state Rep. Fiona McFarland — to coordinate efforts.
“Each of these politicians dispatched our trucks to areas that their constituents needed Anheuser-Busch water,” Saputo said.
While Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend near Perry on Thursday evening, winds and storm surge battered Southwest Florida before and after that occurred.
The company is speaking with local government officials as well. Manatee County requested shipments of emergency water to Rubonia, Anna Maria Island and Holmes Beach. Pickup locations have been set up at the Cross Point Church, where 98 cases of water were delivered, and Holmes Beach City Hall, where 196 cases were shipped. Additionally, 196 cases of water went to Rubonia and 98 cases went to the Bradenton Police Department.
In Sarasota, 490 cases were delivered to the Publix shopping center on Longboat Key.
More than 1,000 cases were shipped to the five locations in a span of less than four hours.
The company plans to continue providing water to the region, and plans to drop 196 cases of water off to G.T. Brey Park in Bradenton and 98 to Blackstone Park in Palmetto at locations set up for Manatee County Emergency Services.
Sales Director Chad Fraser, Marketing Director Hugh Shields and Route Supervisor Javier Bermudez coordinated the effort.
