E-Malt.com News article: USA: Budweiser to donate $100,000 to support families of special operations soldiers

Earlier this season, Budweiser and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. drew attention to a little-known charity with big aspirations. The NASCAR nation responded en masse, allowing Budweiser to donate $100,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) to help provide college educations to the children of fallen Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps special operations personnel, according to Anheuser Busch’s press room, July 7.

“Special operations personnel are hand-picked for the most treacherous of missions, and we felt Budweiser needed to show these brave men and women that Americans support and appreciate their courage,” said Randall Blackford, Budweiser brand director, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Anheuser-Busch has supported our nation’s military and their families for more than 150 years, and we’re honored to make this contribution to the efforts of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.”

Budweiser and Earnhardt Jr. raced two military-themed paint schemes in 2007. Budweiser’s brown and beige “Desert Camo” car raced Memorial Day weekend during the Coca-Cola 600 in honor of fallen soldiers. The red, white and blue “Stars & Stripes” car, set to run in honor of Independence Day at the Pepsi 400 tonight, salutes all those who currently serve.

The proceeds from the sale of collectible diecasts were ear-marked for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides full-ride college scholarships to surviving children of special operations personnel killed in combat or training missions, and immediate financial assistance to special operations personnel severely wounded in the global war on terror. More than 700 children currently benefit from the efforts of the SOWF.

“Through the generosity of Budweiser and the support of NASCAR fans, children of fallen special operations personnel will be reminded that there are caring Americans who recognize the sacrifices that their parents have made and that they want them to succeed in life with a college education.,” said John T. Carney, Jr., President/CEO, Special Operations Warrior Foundation. “This donation also serves as a salute to all of the men and women serving in harm’s way all around the globe.”

For more than 27 years, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation has provided college scholarship grants for tuition, books, fees, room and board to surviving children of special operations personnel killed in combat or training missions. The SOWF has nearly 700 children in its program, and provided $1.5 million in college scholarship grants, educational, financial aid and family counseling for 109 students who attended 73 colleges and universities in 2006. With an estimated 120-125 students eligible for college each year, the Foundation’s estimated financial need is nearly $76 million.

Budweiser is the “Official Beer of NASCAR,” the primary sponsor of the Budweiser #8 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. since 1999, and sponsor of the Bud Pole Award in all NASCAR divisions through 2007. Budweiser is also the title sponsor of the annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, the exclusive beer and malt beverage advertiser of the Daytona 500, and the “Official Beer” of Daytona International Speedway, the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser‑Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.4 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2007. Anheuser‑Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans.


11 July, 2007