Budweiser and Coors contributed to the Hurricane Florence relieve efforts this week, announcing that it was sending about a half-million cans of water to the East Coast to help storm victims, USA Today reported.
Anheuser-Busch said in a statement that it was delivering 300,000 cans of water while MillerCoors stated that it was trucking in another 200,000 cans, the newspaper reported. USA Today said Anheuser-Busch had been delivering canned water to disaster sites for more than 20 years.
Anheuser-Busch said in its statement that it made the delivery from its local wholesalers in the Carolinas and Virginia along with the American Red Cross.
“As employee safety is the foremost and primary concern, Anheuser-Busch is closely monitoring the storm and is taking action to ensure colleagues in the region, including at their Williamsburg, Virginia brewery, are safe and prepared,” the beer company’s statement said.
“The emergency drinking water will be sent to Anheuser-Busch wholesaler partners Carolina Eagle, KW Beverage and R.A. Jeffreys, who will work with the American Red Cross, the South Carolina National Guard, and other local partners to distribute the water to those in need,” the statement continued.
Anheuser-Busch said the water will be distributed from its Cartersville, Georgia brewery, which periodically paused beer production to can drinking water.
USA Today wrote that MillerCoors delivered 80 pallets of 12-packs of water cans from its Shenandoah, Virginia, brewery to the American Red Cross and community shelters. Last year, the company donated more than 550,000 cans of water to Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean after hurricanes, the newspaper noted.
“We hope this water donation provides some relief and comfort to residents and first responders in Hurricane Florence’s path,” Karina Diehl, MillerCoors senior director for national community affairs, in a statement, per USA Today .
“It’s a MillerCoors priority to do our part in helping the communities where our consumers, employees and distributors call home.”
The big beer companies were not the only ones contributing canned water to hurricane victims. WCNC-TV reported Thursday that Blue Blaze Brewing, in Charlotte, North Carolina, filled their tanks with fresh, filtered water ahead of the storm’s arrival to be used in relief efforts.
Blue Blaze officials told the television station that water will be available for anyone in the public in need of water after the storm.
“We also have some kegs cleaned and sanitized on standby ready to fill with water should anyone with draft systems need water, too,” the company stated, per WCNC-TV .
Blue Blaze announced its water giveaway on Twitter Thursday.
Filled up our tanks with fresh, filtered water should anyone in the community need any. We also have some kegs cleaned & sanitized on standby ready to fill w/ water should any businesses w/ draft systems need water, too. Give a buzz or swing by if u or anybody u know needs any. pic.twitter.com/NWNiBrOR0z
— Blue Blaze Brewing (@BlueBlazeBrew) September 13, 2018