Diageo Launches Second Year of the 'Celebrate the Future' Scholarship Fund Program

Funds Benefit Hispanic Hospitality & Leisure Industry Students

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May 19, 2010, 10:00 ET

CHICAGO, May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo, the world's leading spirits, beer and wine company, announced today the second year of its Celebrate the Future Scholarship Fund program in Chicago. Celebrate the Future is a multi-faceted educational platform developed to strengthen Diageo's commitment to the Hispanic community. This year Diageo has partnered with Wirtz Beverage Group to enhance the program which focuses on awarding scholarships to Latinos in Illinois, 21 and older, who are pursuing careers in the hospitality and leisure industry.

"Celebrate the Future encourages Hispanics to take on leadership roles in the hospitality industry and provides opportunities for growth and enhanced quality of life," said Diana Fujimura, Marketing Manager, Diageo Illinois. "Whether it's education in bar and restaurant ownership/management, mixology, or sommelier training, these scholarships can help transform lives."

In 2010, Diageo will award more than $55,000 in funds with approximately six $7,500 Higher Education Scholarships and five $2,000 Vocational Scholarships. Celebrate the Future features bilingual point-of-sale materials now at participating retailers throughout the Chicago area. Diageo brands participating in the program include Jose Cuervo, Buchanan's, Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Baileys, and Don Julio. In addition, Diageo has established a 50% Matching Contribution Fund (up to $20,000) for anyone wishing to contribute to the scholarships. A 501c3 has been created to distribute all scholarship funds including the matching dollars.

A new partner in this year's effort is Wirtz Beverage Group, one of the leading alcohol beverage distributors in the country and Diageo's distributor in Illinois, which will offer two six-month paid internships in sales and marketing as part of Celebrate the Future.

"Our goal is to help open doors and advance careers in our industry," said Danny Wirtz, Vice President of Spirits Marketing and Sales, Wirtz Beverage Group. "Wirtz Beverage is proud to partner with Diageo and offer valuable beverage distribution and sales experience, as well as exposure to different areas of the hospitality and service industry."

Cafe Media, a Latino lifestyle magazine based in Illinois, is the media partner that is driving awareness of the program with advertising and street teams, as well as a Customer Care contact point for nominees and nominators.

Diageo is also working with other community partners including the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) and the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) to reach out to the Hispanic workforce in Chicago. The company has trained its brand ambassadors to help disseminate information to consumers and other interested parties.

Members of the Chicago community can apply or nominate Hispanic candidates who are interested in pursuing or continuing their careers in the hospitality industry. The Celebrate the Future Scholarship Fund application requirements are as follows:

Must be 21 years of age by the close of the application process on August 1st, 2010.
Must be Hispanic/Hispanic descent and a legal resident of Illinois
Must have a minimum high school diploma
Must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA our of a 4.0 scale while in school (or the equivalent)

For more information, to apply for a scholarship, or nominate a candidate, please visit: www.cafemagazine.com/future

About Diageo

Diageo(Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

SOURCE Diageo