NASCAR Driver Matt Kenseth Provides Safe Rides, Hosts 'Tweet Up 'to Spread the Important Message of Responsible Drinking

Crown Royal Pledges to Donate $1 to Charity for Every Tweet Referencing Annual 'Safe Rides Home' Program

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Jul 23, 2010, 01:42 ET

INDIANAPOLIS, July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Prior to competing in one of the most anticipated races of the season, NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth will focus his energy on a very important cause – ensuring adult race fans in Indianapolis remember to drink responsibly and always assign a designated driver.

As part of the signature Crown Royal Safe Rides Home designated-driver program, Kenseth will get behind the wheel of a replica No. 17 Ford Fusion to provide fans with rides home on Friday, July 23rd. To kick-off the event, Crown Royal will host its first-ever Tweet Up at 6 p.m., where the first 17 adult consumers to arrive at the sign-up location (on the corners of Broad Ripple and Guilford Avenues) will receive a special meet and greet with the NASCAR star. In addition, Crown Royal will donate $1 (up to $5,000) to Midwest Food Bank for every – #Crown Royal Safe Rides Home – tweet sent throughout the race weekend.

"This weekend, we are competing at one of the most historic venues in racing, and want to ensure that along with the celebration, race fans remember to stay in control, drink responsibly and always designate a driver," Kenseth said. "I am extremely honored to work alongside Crown Royal in sending this important message. I encourage race fans to get on Twitter this weekend to help me spread the message while also helping donate funds to a great organization."

This marks the sixth year the Safe Rides fleet will take to the streets of Indianapolis during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend. During that span, the Safe Rides Home program has provided more than 1,000 residents and race fans free rides home. To honor this designated driver initiative, Indianapolis Mayor Gregory A. Ballard will also make an appearance at Friday's event, where he will receive a special "Safe Ride Home" from Kenseth.

"Crown Royal looks forward to hosting its first-ever Tweet Up in Indianapolis, a place where the Crown Royal Safe Rides Home program has become such an influential component of the race weekend festivities for adult fans and the local community," said Rob Mason, senior brand manager, Crown Royal. "This year, we wanted new ways to communicate our drink responsibly messages to adults. The activities on Twitter along with having Mayor Ballard stop by to receive an honorary Safe Ride Home provide a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of getting home safely and assigning a designated driver."

The makers of Crown Royal Canadian whisky, a subsidiary of Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO) continue to use this initiative to reinforce the importance of responsible drinking and assigning a designated driver.

Consumers can sign up to receive a free safe ride home at special Crown Royal taxi stands located Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight at the corner of Broad Ripple and Guilford Avenues and Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight on the corner of West Jackson Place and South Meridian Street. Eligible residents must be 21 or older and live within a 20-mile radius of the signup location. Kenseth will only appear on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and there is a four-passenger limit per car.

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal Canadian whisky's smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. The Crown Royal Company is a primary sponsor of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford Fusion driven by Matt Kenseth. For more information visit www.crownroyal.com.

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 (NYSE: 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.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team operating eight motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, Brian Ickler, and Paul Menard. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.