Anheuser-Busch Foundation has donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross’ Service to the Armed Forces Giving Program which helps provide vital services for more than 2 million members of the military, veterans and their families. The gift is the largest contribution to the program by a corporate partner to date.
“We are inspired by the work done by the American Red Cross to give back to those who give so much for our country and communities,” said Bill Bradley, vice president of community affairs at Anheuser-Busch. “Our family of brands, colleagues and wholesalers are incredibly proud of our company’s partnership with the American Red Cross and we are looking forward to the Anheuser-Busch Foundation expanding its commitment in support of our men and women in uniform.”
Established by Anheuser-Busch in 1975, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation focuses on supporting initiatives that help individuals and communities thrive, including environmental sustainability, disaster relief, education and hundreds of nonprofit organizations that support veterans and military families.
“The Red Cross is most grateful to the Anheuser-Busch Foundation for this generous gift,” said Koby Langley, senior vice president for the Service to the Armed Forces division of the American Red Cross. “It’s this generosity of spirit and unity of mission that allows us to innovate and develop new opportunities to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s military and tomorrow’s veterans.”
Every day throughout the year, the Red Cross serves military personnel and veterans by providing 24/7 global emergency communication services and support in health care facilities across the country. Last year alone, the Red Cross provided over 461,000 emergency and critical community services to more than 195,000 military members and their families.
“For more than 100 years, the Red Cross and Anheuser-Busch have worked together serving our communities in times of disaster. This partnership, in support of the military and veteran communities, is a natural evolution of our work together,” said Langley.
Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding partnership with the American Red Cross dating back to 1906 and continues to work together over a century later to support communities in need through the brewer’s emergency drinking water program. Since 1988, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesaler partners have worked alongside the American Red Cross to provide more than 80 million cans of water to U.S. communities affected by natural disasters.
As a member of the Annual Disaster Giving Program, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation also pledges donations on an ongoing basis in advance of disasters to help ensure the Red Cross can act quickly when disasters strike.