ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Coca-Cola Company, its local bottling partner and The Coca-Cola Foundation are providing disaster relief assistance to communities impacted by Hurricane Michael. The philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company – The Coca-Cola Foundation – today pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross to provide immediate resources for emergency food and shelter across the Florida Panhandle and the Southeastern United States.
“We are concerned about the communities impacted by Hurricane Michael,” said Helen Smith Price, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation. “We are using our resources to provide immediate relief and recovery assistance to those impacted by the storm. As a longtime partner of the American Red Cross, we are proud to support their critical relief efforts.”
In addition to monetary support from The Coca-Cola Foundation, the company and its local bottling partner, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, have donated more than 70,000 bottles of water to date to the American Red Cross and other local community organizations to support emergency response efforts throughout the region.
The Coca-Cola Company is also matching its employees’ contributions to the Coca-Cola Employee Disaster Relief Fund up to $100,000. This fund provides disaster relief and rebuilding funds to Coca-Cola system employees who were impacted by Hurricane Michael.
“We deeply understand the impact of these devastating storms because our people live, work and serve their neighbors in these communities every day,” said Jim Dinkins, President, Coca-Cola North America. “Our entire Coca-Cola family is mobilized and doing all we can to support each other and help our communities recover and rebuild throughout the Southeast.”
Coca-Cola is giving its consumers an opportunity to support The American Red Cross through the Coca-Cola Give program. People can visit Coke.com/give and enter codes found under the caps of Coca-Cola beverages – and inside multi-packs – and convert them into donations to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief.
Recently, the Coca-Cola system also supported Hurricane Florence recovery and relief efforts throughout North Carolina and South Carolina, including a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross, as well as local beverage donations, volunteer assistance and employee relief funding.
About The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Through more than 30 years of giving back, The Coca-Cola Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to help protect the environment, promote recycling, empower women and enhance the overall well-being of communities. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please visit www.coca-colagivingback.com.
About Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED
Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc., founded in 1902 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is the second largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler in North America and the fourth largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the U.S. The Company is engaged in the production, marketing and distribution of a diverse portfolio of leading sparkling (Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Dr Pepper, Sprite and Fanta) and still (smartwater, Dasani, POWERADE, Gold Peak, Monster and Minute Maid) non-alcoholic brands under exclusive franchise agreements principally with The Coca-Cola Company and Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
Since inception, Coca-Cola UNITED has remained true to its foundational core values of: Quality, Excellence, Integrity and Respect. For more than 116 years, local relationships, personalized customer service, and strong community engagement have been the foundation of our business.
Coca-Cola UNITED has approximately 10,000 associates located in more than 60 facilities across six southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee). Historically significant franchises within our Coca-Cola UNITED family include Columbus, Georgia, development site of the original Coca-Cola formula; Chattanooga, the world’s first Coca-Cola bottler; and Atlanta, home of the worldwide Coca-Cola System. www.cocacolaunited.com.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
