Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida as a category four storm, becoming the fifth strongest hurricane on record in United States history. Florida’s Gulf Coast bore the brunt of Ian’s ferocity as it made landfall with 12-foot waves and sustained winds of 150 mph, leaving much of the region with widespread destruction, flooding and extended power outages.

Its effects hit home for many Florida-based businesses, including local beverage companies who immediately stepped in to assist those in need. 

Tampa-based Coke Florida, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company, donated $1.65 million to aid hurricane relief efforts, including a $1 million grant for the American Red Cross to help assist those displaced or injured by Hurricane Ian. A donation of $150,000 was made to support local nonprofits, such as food banks, to help those affected.

In addition, pallets of bottled water from Keurig Dr Pepper were distributed to residents left with unsafe drinking water in the storm’s aftermath. 

PepsiCo joined the relief efforts by partnering with the Salvation Army and Team Rubicon, a veteran-led nonprofit that responds to emergency situations. Pepsi donated 75,000 meals through its Food for Good program and supported clean-up and restoration efforts alongside Team Rubicon. Cases of PepsiCo bottled water were distributed throughout the region. 

In addition to storm recovery efforts and the donation of crucial provisions for impacted residents, including some of their own employees, Coke Florida and PepsiCo have pledged to provide financial assistance to any employee affected by the storm. With a long road to recovery ahead, Florida’s beverage companies are committed to supporting the communities they serve.

To learn more about what beverage companies are doing to support their local communities, visit hereforyou.us

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