Budweiser Kicks Off Vicente Fernandez' 20-City U.S. Tour

Latin America - español

Singing Legend Partners with Anheuser-Busch Foundation to Award College Scholarships Through Hispanic Scholarship Fund at Each Concert

News provided by

Anheuser-Busch

May 23, 2011, 08:00 ET

ST. LOUIS, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vicente Fernandez 2011 U.S. tour, presented by Budweiser, kicks off this month. That means good news for local students in the 20 cities on the singing legend's much-anticipated 24-concert tour.

Budweiser and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation will donate a university scholarship at each venue. Just before each concert the recipient will appear onstage to accept and will have an opportunity to go backstage to meet the iconic singer.

This is the second consecutive year that Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch have partnered with the Mexican singing legend to boost educational opportunities in the Latino community.

"We are contributing to education by way of music," Fernandez said. "I am pleased to collaborate with Budweiser on projects that empower the community, especially the Hispanic Scholarship Fund."

To continue its long tradition of supporting Hispanic education, Anheuser-Busch is donating $100,000 this year to the HSF as part of this special program. Since 1982, Budweiser has donated more than $24 million – including $500,000 in 2010 – and awarded 20,000 scholarships to HSF, the nation's leading non-profit organization that supports Hispanic higher education.

"For more than three decades, Budweiser's support for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund has helped thousands of Latino students and their families realize the dream of a college education," said Frank Alvarez, president and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. "By teaming up with Vicente Fernandez, Budweiser is expanding its investment in the future of the Latino community and helping us move closer to our goal of putting a college degree in every Latino household."

"It's inspiring every time I meet a student or graduate who was able to attend college because of Anheuser-Busch's support of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund," said Margarita Flores, vice president of community affairs at Anheuser-Busch and a member of the board of directors for HSF. "And it's exciting to partner with Vicente Fernandez, a true cultural icon, on this program to benefit the community. Our support helps students who otherwise could not realize their dream of a college education."

Budweiser is the presenting sponsor for the artist's tour, which kicked off May 6 in Fresno, Calif. The concert tour is produced by Ralph Hauser Promotions and will visit Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and other markets across the United States through November. The full schedule with more cities and exact show dates will be announced at a later date.

Known as "El Rey" (The King), Vicente Fernandez is appearing in Budweiser's Spanish-language campaign, which includes TV, radio, print, outdoor, interactive and point-of-sale. In addition, a national sweepstakes will give consumers the chance to win concert tickets, autographed CDs and the opportunity to meet Vicente Fernandez backstage in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. To enter, U.S. consumers 21 years of age and older (except in CA) can text the word CHENTE to 23377 or visit www.budweiser.com/chente

"Vicente's award-winning and best-selling music connects with listeners on a very passionate and emotional level, bridging all generations," said Rob McCarthy, vice president of Budweiser. "Budweiser brewmasters bring this same passion and quality to the job every day, and Budweiser is thrilled to continue our partnership with this cultural icon for a second consecutive year."

To learn more about Budweiser, visit the Budweiser Latino page on Facebook at facebook.com/budweiserlatino.

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch