ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Coca-Cola Company, its Mexico and Latin Center business units, along with The Coca-Cola Company’s philanthropic arm – The Coca-Cola Foundation – today pledged additional financial support to communities recovering from recent natural disasters across Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands. The new pledges include:
- A $1 million grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to the Mexican Red Cross to support relief efforts in communities impacted by recent earthquakes in Mexico.
- A $1 million grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to the Salvation Army to help provide immediate resources for necessary food and shelter in areas impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria across the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- A $2 million pledge from Coca-Cola de Mexico to support reconstruction in Mexico once immediate disaster relief efforts are complete.
- A $300,000 pledge from the Coca-Cola Latin Center Business Unit to support reconstruction in St Kitts, Turks and Caicos and Barbuda.
These donations build on the $2 million The Coca-Cola Foundation previously granted to The American Red Cross for relief efforts across the Caribbean Islands and the southeastern U.S. following Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.
Coca-Cola System associates have also come together to provide assistance and support through the Coca-Cola Employee Disaster Relief Fund to their fellow system co-workers who have been evacuated from their homes and are without basic necessities in affected areas. The Coca-Cola Company is matching employee contributions up to $100,000.
With the addition of today’s new pledges of support, The Coca-Cola Company and its business units in Mexico, Latin Center and the United States, along with The Coca-Cola Foundation, together have contributed $6.4 million to support disaster relief and recovery efforts across the hardest hit areas over the past month.
“These are sad times for all of us in Coca-Cola Latin America,” said Alfredo Rivera, President of The Coca-Cola Company’s Latin America Group. “Our company and our bottlers stood up and responded very rapidly to the needs of the affected communities. We will be there as well to contribute to the reconstruction of the affected territories.”
Added Sandy Douglas, President, Coca-Cola North America; and Board Member of The Coca-Cola Foundation, “The entire Coca-Cola system has come together to support the communities we serve and where our associates live and work. Serving our local communities is at the heart of what we do and, in this time of great need, we are fully committed to working with relief organizations and community leaders to support their immediate needs during recovery as well as the longer term rebuilding efforts.”
In addition to financial contributions, The Coca-Cola Company and local bottling partners continue to support relief efforts by providing donations of food, beverages and building materials to communities impacted by these devastating natural disasters. In total, the Coca-Cola system has donated more than 1.4 million bottles of water and other drinks to relief organizations helping people impacted in local communities in the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, the southeastern U.S. and Texas, with more expected in the coming days.
U.S. consumers also have the opportunity to support the American Red Cross in their relief efforts during the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma 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.
About The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $830 million in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please visit www.coca-colagivingback.com.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest total beverage company, offering over 500 brands to people in more than 200 countries. Of our 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 are available in lower- and no-sugar options to help people everywhere more easily control added sugar. In addition to our namesake Coca-Cola drinks, some of our household names around the world include: AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and Zico coconut water. At Coca-Cola, we’re serious about making positive contributions to our world. That starts with reducing sugar in our drinks and bringing new and different drinks to people everywhere. It also means continuously working to reduce our environmental impact, creating rewarding careers for our associates, and bringing economic opportunity wherever we operate. In fact, together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people around the world. For more information, visit our digital magazine Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow The Coca-Cola Company on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170926006735/en/
