Total Wine & More Receives Prestigious 2014 Market Watch Award for Community Service

Wine, beer, and spirits retailer recognized for outstanding corporate philanthropy efforts and local community partnerships

News provided by

Total Wine & More

Sep 29, 2014, 06:14 ET

POTOMAC, Md., Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Watch, the nation's leading beverage alcohol industry publication, recognized the exemplary community outreach efforts of Total Wine & More by presenting the company with the 2014 Market Watch Alumni Award for Community Service. The award was presented to Total Wine & More's co-owners David and Robert Trone, and the company's Vice President of Public Affairs & Community Relations, Edward Cooper, at the Market Watch Leaders Gala hosted by Shanken Communications and held at New York's St. Regis Hotel.

Guided by David and Robert Trone's desire to use charitable donations to help people directly, Total Wine & More focuses its contributions in the social service, disease research and eradication, fine and performing arts and education sectors. In 2013 the company donated in-kind and monetary contributions in excess of $4 million to more than 4,200 local charities in 16 states. Charitable donations of products (including the company's "wine at cost" program) for organization's gala events and items that charities may monetize in either a live or silent auction setting – such as trips to the world's great wine making regions, gift cards, wine/beer/spirits classes and private tastings were permitted by law - all helped the recipient organizations raise over $25 million in 2013 to support their programs. The 4,200+ charitable organizations ranged from local chapters of national efforts such as the Boys & Girls Clubs, American Heart Association and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to hyper-local community outreach through institutions like Miami, FL's Read2Succeed, Plano, TX's CASA and Child Advocacy Center programs, Norwalk, CT's Fairfield County Community Food Bank and Burnsville, MN's Fire Muster.

"The level of time, energy and financial resources that David and Robert Trone have devoted to community service is truly remarkable," said Marvin R. Shanken, chairman of M. Shanken Communications Inc., publisher of Market Watch magazine. "Over the past two decades, Total Wine & More has donated more than $30 million to charitable groups both large and small—all while driving a retail juggernaut that's now in 16 states, with annual sales approaching $2 billion."

Recognizing that there is a scarcity of free meeting space for community groups, Total Wine & More offers the opportunity to utilize the stores' Wine Education Centers for through its "Book our Room" ([email protected]) initiative. This program allows local businesses, clubs and civic organizations to use the store's state-of-the-art classrooms as meeting space with complimentary wine tasting. Each classroom is equipped with Wi-Fi, a projector, speakers, and a podium. In 2013, more than 8,000 charitable groups nationwide utilized Total Wine's classrooms for meetings, seminars, fundraisers and events.

Acutely aware of the products it sells and the costs to society from the products misuse, Total Wine & More has developed a nationally-recognized corporate social responsibility (CSR) effort with programs aimed at encouraging its customers to use designated driver, host responsible parties and prevent under aged drinking.

About Total Wine & More
Total Wine & More is America's largest independent retailer of fine wine, beer and spirits with 107 superstores in 16 states. A three-time national retailer of the year award winner, the company's vast selection of products, combined with low everyday prices and expertly trained wine associates, provides a unique shopping experience for the customer. Since opening its first store in 1991, Total Wine & More has been committed to being the premier wine, beer and spirits retailer in every community that it serves. For more information about Total Wine & More please visit www.totalwine.com.

SOURCE Total Wine & More