NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This week more than
850 Diageo North America employees are giving back to communities
where the company operates through a series of projects and events
across the continent. Today hundreds of employees from Diageo's
Norwalk, Connecticut headquarters
and New York City office are
taking part in the inaugural Diageo Community Activity and Relief
Efforts ("Diageo C.A.R.E.s") event through a series of projects
centered around three key areas of: environmental impact, thriving
communities, and alcohol in society. The hub of the
activities will be in and around Stamford, Connecticut's Mill River Park, where
participants will roll up their sleeves and contribute to a series
of beautification projects, help provide food to those in need, and
educate on the importance of responsible drinking.
"Giving back to the communities where we operate has always been
a priority for Diageo and core to our purpose of Celebrating Life,
Every Day, Everywhere, and through Diageo C.A.R.E.s, we give
various opportunities to our employees to get involved," said
Deirdre Mahlan, President, Diageo
North America. "This is our largest collective volunteer effort in
North America to-date, and we're
excited to be able to partner with such impactful local
organizations."
To kick-off volunteer efforts, Diageo teamed up with Mill River
Park Collaborative, a local non-profit organization whose mission
is to create and sustain a world-class park in the heart of
Stamford. During the day,
volunteers will have the chance to help transform a section of the
park into a multi-purpose space for the community to enjoy.
Projects will include landscaping as well as the creation of a new
leisure and entertainment space, and sports and recreation
facilities including a bocce ball court, dog park, board walk and
mini-golf course.
"It is exciting to see companies like Diageo and its employees
making the investment to give back to their communities," said
Dudley Williams, Mill River Park
Collaborative President and CEO. "We hope that through this
partnership we can continue to bring to life the community vision
of a central park in the heart of downtown."
In addition to the projects within Mill River Park, participants
will also have the chance to work with international hunger relief
organization Rise Against Hunger, to help package and pack 20,000
parcels of food, which will then be distributed to those in need
across the globe.
"Diageo volunteers always bring lots of energy and enthusiasm -
you can tell that social impact is part of their corporate
culture," said Toni Marraccini, Rise
Against Hunger Senior Global Account Manager. "Thanks to their
efforts today, Rise Against Hunger will be able to feed 200 people
in one of our programs for an entire year, bringing us one step
closer to a world without hunger."
Simultaneously, at the University of
Connecticut, Stamford
campus, Diageo will educate the public about the importance of
responsible alcohol consumption. Volunteers will showcase
DECISIONS, a 360° virtual reality experience that puts users in the
front seat of a devastating car crash and challenges them to think
twice before allowing themselves, or others, to get behind the
wheel after drinking. Diageo's "Party's Over" 360° virtual reality
experience which provides perspective on binge drinking, as well as
the company's "DrinkIQ quiz," will also be showcased.
Diageo has partnered with local companies in Stamford including Eastern Land Management,
Feinsod Hardware, The Home Depot, Mayborn Group (Tommee Tippee), and O&G
Industries.
Employees from many locations across the North America market will also be
participating in Diageo C.A.R.E.s' corporate day of service. Staff
from Chicago will join employees
from the Plainfield, IL production
facility on a number of projects in partnership with their local
United Way of Will County Partner Agencies. Teams from the
Amherstburg, Ontario facility will
volunteer in the Kingsville ACCESS County Community Support
Services community garden. Additional locations participating
in a day of service include the new Guinness Open Gate Brewery and
Barrel House in Baltimore,
Maryland; Shelbyville,
Kentucky; Bentonville,
Arkansas; Las Vegas,
Nevada; and Tullahoma,
Tennessee.
Diageo supports a culture of giving and is proud to offer
employees a competitive benefits package that includes five extra
days per year, which can be used to serve the local community. To
learn more about Diageo's work including its brands and company
values, visit www.diageo.com.
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage
alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including
Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit
and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff,
Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO)
and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and our products are sold
in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information
about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at
www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking
resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways
to share best practice. Follow us on Twitter for news and
information about Diageo North America: @Diageo NA.
Media Contact:
Kristen
Crofoot, Diageo
kristen.crofoot@diageo.com
(917)445.2835
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SOURCE Diageo North America