ST. LOUIS, May  21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Anheuser-Busch is providing 2,156 cases of emergency drinking water — or 51,744 cans — for use by relief workers and residents affected by the tornado in Oklahoma City and its surrounding suburbs.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130521/CG18604) 

A truck loaded with emergency drinking water left Cartersville, Ga., and will be arriving in the region this week.  Anheuser-Busch is working with the American Red Cross to get the water where it's most needed.  Additionally, the company has made a $25,000 donation to the Red Cross to assist in their relief efforts.

"Relief workers and people in the community are in need of fresh drinking water as they work to recover from the tornado, and this is one way Anheuser-Busch can help our friends and neighbors," said Peter Kraemer, vice president of Supply for Anheuser-Busch. 

Since 1988, Anheuser-Busch has donated more than 72 million cans of emergency drinking water following natural and other disasters.

Helping communities cope with disasters has been an Anheuser-Busch tradition since 1906 when Adolphus Busch made a donation to the American Red Cross for victims of the San Francisco earthquake.  Today, in addition to providing monetary support, Anheuser-Busch packages emergency drinking water and works with the American Red Cross and other emergency relief organizations for distribution to those in need. 

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 47.6 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers.  The company brews Budweiser and Bud Light, two of the world's largest-selling beers.  Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years.  The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo.  For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch