Starbucks Coffee Company To Donate $2 Million In Grants To Benefit Water Programs In India And Kenya

SEATTLE - To commemorate World Water Day and raise awareness for the more than 1.1 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean drinking water, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced two US$1 million grants that will each benefit water programs in India and Kenya.



For each bottle of Ethos™ water purchased in Starbucks U.S. Company-operated stores, US$0.05 is contributed to the Ethos Water Fund at the Starbucks Foundation. These funds support Starbucks goals of contributing at least US$10 million by 2010 to nonprofit organizations that are helping to alleviate the world water crisis.



“By purchasing Ethos™ water, customers have been part of this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and their communities around the world who need access to clean water,” said Jim Donald, Starbucks president and ceo. “Starbucks hopes to help raise awareness and be a significant collaborator in support of solutions to help alleviate the world water crisis.”



Today’s announced grants from the Ethos™ Water Fund of The Starbucks Foundation include:




India – Working through WaterAid, a US$1 million grant will help develop an integrated approach to water and sanitation-related health problems for an estimated 120,000 beneficiaries living in 80 rural villages and 40 urban slums in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.




Kenya – Working through International Medical Corps, a US$1M grant will help improve the overall health status of vulnerable communities in Samburu through the provision of water, hygiene, and sanitation services – this includes a targeted goal of reaching 45,000 beneficiaries.



Also, on March 22 and 24, Starbucks will be inviting partners (employees) and customers to take part in World Water Day activities and events in 26 cities in the U.S. and Canada. Participants across the country will recognize this day by attending Walks for Water and World Water Day Film Screenings. Walks for Water are intended to symbolize the difficult struggle that women and children in developing countries undertake on a daily basis to obtain drinking water for their families. In some cities there were will be film screenings of “Running Dry” and “One Water” to help educate and inspire people to learn more about the world water crisis.



World Water Day events are free and open to the public and will take place in Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Calgary; Charlotte, N.C; Chicago, Columbus, Ga.; Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Conn.; Houston; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; New York; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh, N.C.; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Tacoma, Wash.; Toronto, Vancouver, B.C.; and Washington, D.C. Event details as well as information about World Water Day and the world water crisis are available online at www.worldwaterday.net.



World Water Day

Designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, World Water Day is intended to call attention to the world water crisis, a plight that affects nearly 20 percent of the world’s total population[i] and is arguably the largest global public health issue of our time. Experts estimate that a child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease.[ii] Because access to clean water is a basic, daily necessity, getting water is one of the most important and time-consuming responsibilities undertaken by millions of women and children around the world. Forty billion working hours are spent carrying water each year in Africa.[iii] In addition, the world water crisis is a major obstacle that inhibits progress on a wide range of other development issues related to improving human welfare, such as poverty alleviation, health care, education, and economic prosperity.



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