Diageo North America employees assemble 12,000 care packages for deployed military

In an early celebration of Veteran’s Day, Diageo hosted its fourth annual Military Service Appreciation Day, bringing together employees, non-profit partners and community members to show appreciation for those serving in the military. As part of the celebration and to support Crown Royal’s Purple Bag Project, hundreds of employees across Diageo’s sites in Miami, Florida; New York City, New York; Norwalk, Connecticut; Plainfield, Illinois; and Relay, Maryland came together to assemble 12,000 care packages for American troops serving in the armed forces.

“Military Service Appreciation Day enables our people and charitable partners to come together and give back to those serving our country,” said Deirdre Mahlan, President, Diageo North America. “I’m proud to see both our target of assembled care packages increasing, while participation from our employees grows year on year to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate and show our gratitude to those who serve us”.

As with previous years, Diageo has partnered with non-profit organizations such as Packages from Home, an organization that works with outreach experts to deliver food and hygiene items to U.S. military veterans; iPads for Soldiers, an organization that provides iPads to soldiers in battle and wounded warriors as morale boosters and key elements in the recovery process; and Operation Gratitude, a charitable organization with the mission to forge strong bonds between Americans, military and their First Responder heroes through volunteer projects and acts of gratitude and meaningful engagements in communities nationwide.

The packages assembled will contribute to the Crown Royal’s Purple Bag Project, which is the brand’s largest generosity commitment to-date and aims to distribute one million care packages to military and others in need by 2020.

These efforts are part of the company’s ongoing Diageo Salutes the Troops program, which pays tribute to members of the military all year round through community service events and charitable donations. The program was developed to support veterans and active duty personnel in ways that make a direct and meaningful impact on their lives, as well as their families’ lives. These are some of the many other efforts conducted by the company in appreciation of the military community:

• Diageo’s Learning Skills for Life program in Houston supports military veterans in need of employable skills and partners with U.S. Vets of Houston for recruitment. Established in 2014, our Learning Skills for Life program provides free learning and career opportunities within the hospitality industry to people who don’t have access to proper training.
• The Veterans and Friends of Veterans Business Resource Group is a group created by employees committed to making Diageo a great place to work for all those who have served. 
• The Veteran Buddy System was recently pilot launched by Veterans and Friends of Veterans at Diageo North America to assist newly hired individuals who are veterans in their transition from active duty service to life at Diageo.

To learn more about Diageo’s work, including its company values, and brands with purpose, visit www.diageo.com.

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. 

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal Canadian Whisky is the number-one selling Canadian whisky brand in the world and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal’s smooth, elegant flavor and gift-worthy presentation reflect its regal origins – it is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky.  For more information, visit www.crownroyal.com. Crown Royal encourages all consumers to please enjoy responsibly.