Jim Beam Donates $100,000 To Fund Holiday Meals For Military Families

Bourbon Leader's Donation is Latest in Long-Standing Partnership with Operation Homefront

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Dec 10, 2014, 10:46 ET

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky., Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Jim Beam® Bourbon, the world's No. 1 bourbon, is adding more happy to the holidays this year with a $100,000 donation to Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting United States military families. Presented today by Frederick "Fred" Booker Noe III, seventh generation Jim Beam master distiller, along with his son, Freddie Noe IV, in a ceremony at Fort Campbell, Ky., the funds will help provide holiday meals for military families.

"Bourbon is just about as American as you can get," said Noe. "So at Jim Beam we're honored to support our military heroes who defend our great country every day. They are part of our family, and we salute them."

The donation marks the latest demonstration of Jim Beam's long history of support for the military and Operation Homefront. Since 2008, Jim Beam has donated more than $2.5 million to the organization through a variety of charitable programming efforts. The Holiday Meals for Military program began Thanksgiving 2009 as the result of a chance encounter in a supermarket in Utica, N.Y., near Fort Drum. A soldier, his wife and infant had a handful of grocery items they could not afford, so a Jim Beam employee picked up the $12 cost for the groceries. Since that time, the program has grown from initially providing 500 meal kits to military families in 2009 to providing 8,000 this holiday season, and Jim Beam continues to be a major supporter of the program.

"Thanks to continued support from Jim Beam and other sponsors, this season we're providing 8,000 military families at 21 different active duty bases with a Holiday Meal kit, which includes everything they need for a holiday dinner," said Stacey Crooks, Senior Director of Corporate Relations for Operation Homefront. "We're incredibly grateful for the generous donations Jim Beam has provided over the years and for its commitment to honoring and assisting our country's military families. Having Fred Noe and his son volunteer their time today is the icing on the cake and means so much to our military families."

Jim Beam has a long history of support for the military that can be traced all the way back to the 1700s. If not for the land grant given to the Beam family for all their service during the revolutionary war, the brand's Kentucky distillery may not have existed. Today, the company is proud to employ numerous veterans and active military personnel, and has promised to hold the jobs of those called to active duty.

About Beam Suntory Inc.
As the world's third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the flagship Jim Beam bourbon and Yamazaki Japanese whisky, as well as world renowned premium brands including Maker's Mark and Knob Creek bourbons, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher's, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur. The company generates annual worldwide sales exceeding $4 billion excluding excise taxes.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and entrepreneurial culture. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

About Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers with nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of military families since its inception in 2002. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity watchdog groups, nationally, 93 percent of total donations to Operation Homefront go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.operationhomefront.net.

Jim Beam® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% Alc./Vol.

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SOURCE Jim Beam