Anheuser-Busch Delivers 6 Truckloads of Emergency Drinking Water to Florida to Prepare for Hurricane Irma

ST. LOUIS, MO (September 9, 2017) – Anheuser-Busch is mobilizing its resources to prepare for the potential impacts of Hurricane Irma, sending over 310,000 cans of clean, safe emergency drinking water to Florida. 

The deliveries arrived yesterday in Fort Pierce, Orlando and Sarasota. With the help of Anheuser-Busch's distributor partners, they will be delivered to the American Red Cross for distribution to communities in need, following an assessment of the hurricane's impact.

The water being shipped to Florida was produced when Anheuser-Busch's Cartersville Brewery in Georgia switched from beer production to water production on Labor Day to help prepare for the potential impacts of Irma.

“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 five facilities in Florida: the Jacksonville Brewery, its craft partners Wicked Weed and Veza Sur, the Anchor Glass facility and the Jacksonville canning facility. Anheuser-Busch will continue to monitor Hurricane Irma to ensure employees and their families are safe.

Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding tradition of providing water and supplies to those affected by natural disasters nationwide. Last week over 800,000 cans of emergency drinking water were delivered to communities in Texas and Louisiana to help Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Anheuser-Busch also announced a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program.

In 2016, Anheuser-Busch produced and shipped emergency drinking water to communities hit by natural disasters, including the California wildfires, the Louisiana floods and Hurricane Matthew.

ABOUT ANHEUSER-BUSCH

For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch and its world-class brewmasters have carried on a legacy of brewing America's most popular beers. Starting with the finest ingredients sourced from Anheuser-Busch's family of growers, every batch is crafted using the same exacting standards and time-honored traditions passed down through generations of proud Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and employees. Anheuser-Busch owns and operates 21 breweries, 21 distributorships and 22 agricultural and packaging facilities, employing more than 17,000 people across the United States. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.