Diageo North America Celebrates Local Charities this Holiday Season

NORWALK, Conn., Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading premium spirits, beer, and wine company, known for celebrating life every day, everywhere, is celebrating the holiday season this year by supporting non-profit organizations in the communities in which its employees live and work. The holiday giving programs are all employee driven, resulting in local activations at many of the company's facilities throughout North America.

Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President for Diageo North America, said, "Diageo is committed to celebrating the holiday season by giving back locally." He continued, "While Diageo is a global company, we remain invested in the communities in which we do business. We are honored to work with several organizations – some of them for more than a decade – to help contribute to their worthwhile missions and do our part to make a difference."

In a culmination of the company's holiday giving, Diageo hosted the annual "Diageo 100" last night, an event at which 100 Diageo employees host a holiday party for 200 at-risk children. Held at the iconic Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT, home to the company's North American headquarters, the event honors four different local charities from the community.

In addition to the "Diageo 100," the company's holiday giving and volunteer programs include drives hosted at various Diageo sites across the country for organizations including Toys for Tots and Dress for Success, resulting in the donation of thousands of unwrapped toys and business attire for women and children in need.

Different departments, with team members spread across North America, joined the Salvation Army's Adopt-a-Family program, providing gifts, groceries and cold weather apparel to underprivileged families just in time for the holidays.

Further local activation included monetary donations made to the New York Army National Guard Family Readiness Council and the United Way of Illinois. In Miami, employees continued their 12-year tradition of supporting the local YWCA, with employee donations funding 100 turkeys with complete Thanksgiving meals.

Back in Norwalk, Diageo employees are working with both the Norwalk Homeless Shelter and the Norwalk Emergency Center again this year, supporting the organizations with a canned food drive, Christmas dinner and a visit to the Shelter from Santa.

Diageo's partnership with local charities is a part of the company's ongoing Spirit of the Americas humanitarian aid program. The initiative provides humanitarian aid on an international level as well as on a local scale.

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 (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.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

SOURCE Diageo