Hurricane Katrina - American Beverage Association

Hurricane Katrina
Beverage Industry Helps Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
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Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, The American Beverage Association
responded to an urgent request from FEMA to provide 100 tractor trailers (more than
200,000 cases) of bottled water for distribution to hurricane victims. ABA served as the
initial point of contact to mobilize regional bottlers and franchise companies to meet
FEMA's request. One bottler -- Dr Pepper/Seven-Up Bottling Company,
headquartered in Dallas – fulfilled that request alone, while thousands and thousands of
additional cases of water were provided by Coca-Cola bottlers and Pepsi-Cola bottlers
from states in the region and plants in neighboring states, including plants in the
PepsiAmericas system, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Consolidated, Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Buffalo Rock, Cott Beverages,
and members of The Pepsi Bottling Group.
Individual Company Initiatives
The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners have shipped more than 30 million
donated 8-oz. servings of filtered water, juice, sports drinks and other beverages to
relief organizations including the American Red Cross, Department of Defense, Federal
Emergency Management Agency and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and
food service partners such as Aramark for distribution to those who have been affected
by Hurricane Katrina. The product donation is in addition to the $5 million in cash
already pledged (see below). For a complete chronology of the Coca-Cola System’s
relief efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina click here.
The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) is rushing to help Hurricane Katrina victims any
way it can – across the country. PBG is not only donating Pepsi products to the relief
effort, but employees are busy organizing fund drives, collecting donations in PBG
trucks and volunteering at hurricane shelters. PBG is sending more than 40 trucks,
filled with thousands of cases of Aquafina bottled water, to the region. The company is
partnering with the American Red Cross, which is directing the water to shelters that
need supplies. The Pepsi Bottling Group Foundation (The PBG Foundation) also
donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross disaster relief. For complete coverage of
The Pepsi Bottling Group's relief efforts click here.
Hurricane Katrina
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The Coca-Cola Company, The Coca-Cola Foundation and its bottling partners will
donate $5 million to support relief and rescue efforts in communities devastated by Hurricane
Katrina. The donation will be divided among the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army
and the Coca-Cola System Hurricane Katrina Employee Relief Fund, which will assist
displaced system employees. In addition, The Coca-Cola Foundation is donating $1 million to
The Salvation Army's vast Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts and truckloads of CocaCola products will be donated to Salvation Army hurricane relief centers where victims of
Katrina are receiving food and temporary shelter from the Army's ministers and volunteers.
PepsiAmericas, Inc. is setting up a mini-town in a warehouse facility spared by the storm so
workers can begin rebuilding their lives and announced the establishment of an employee
relief fund through PepsiAmericas Foundation. The mission of this Fund is to assist the
company's Gulf area employees and their immediate families affected by Hurricane Katrina.
In addition, the company donated $500,000 in funding and drinking water for Hurricane
Katrina relief efforts. PepsiAmericas reported that preliminary assessments of its facilities in
Louisiana indicated minimal damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. For more information
click here.
Members of the community of Dublin, Texas will gather at the famed Dublin Dr Pepper
bottling facility and museum to help assemble disaster relief health kits to be distributed to
hurricane victims through UMCOR, a disaster relief agency on the ground in Louisiana. Items
included in the health kits will be dropped off at the facility, and on Sunday, September 11,
the kits will be assembled by volunteers. Free Dr Pepper and live music will be available
while volunteers work.
Smaller bottlers from around the country also did their part: C.C. Clark, Inc., bottlers of
Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper products in Starkville, Mississippi sent five tractor trailer loads of
water. Carolina Beverage Corporation (Salisbury, NC), in conjunction with their can
suppliers, Crown Cork & Seal and Ball Corporation, shipped 20,00 cases of canned water
to the Red Cross and are participating with community groups to ship an additional 25,000
cases at a nominal charge. The Cheerwine Company of Salisbury, NC, sent four tractor
trailer loads of drinking water. A Pepsi co-op, CPF, Inc. of Ayer, Massachusetts sent water.
Temple Bottling Company Ltd in Temple TX donated 6,000 5-gallon bag-in-box units of
water. Wis-Pak, a Pepsi and Dr Pepper bottler located in Watertown, Wisconsin , sent water.
Officials from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated arrived in the region to
distribute cash to every employee and help them with information regarding insurance claims
and emergency assistance. All employees have been accounted for and remain on the payroll.
Damaged plants are running on generators, but employees are back at work in these facilities.
Washers and dryers are available at the plant for family members, and hot showers are
available for employees and their families as well.
Hurricane Katrina
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Even before the wind and water had died down, PepsiCo and its divisions initiated
community relief actions for the victims of Hurricane Katrina as well as the many emergency
workers assisting those in need. PepsiCo is doing its part in supporting relief efforts, ranging
from monetary donations to the American Red Cross to widespread product donations from
across the PepsiCo businesses.
All admissions to the Dublin Dr Pepper Museum for the entire month of September will be
donated to the American Red Cross to assist in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
As of Friday September 2, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. had heard from 320 of 700 employees
who work at its New Orleans distribution facility. The Atlanta-based company used the
Internet and media alerts to get word out to workers about its telephone hot line, offering to
help with food and shelter. The company is continuing to pay all of its employees during the
Hurricane Katrina crisis.
Members -- tell us your story....share your stories with us regarding activities undertaken by
your company to assist in relief efforts. Call or email today!
Main Telephone Number: (202) 463- 6788
Fax Number: (202) 659-5349
Email: info@ameribev.org