Jim Beam Supports Military Families With $100,000 Donation To Fund Holiday Meals Program

Bourbon Leader's Partnership with Operation Homefront Grows to Support 8,500 Families and Now Totals More Than $2.5 million

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Beam Suntory Inc.

Dec 14, 2015, 10:55 ET

Jim Beam(R) Bourbon, the world's No. 1 bourbon, proudly salutes military men and women with a $100,000 donation to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that builds strong, stable, and secure military families. Fred Noe (pictured center), seventh generation Jim Beam master distiller, along with his son, Freddie Noe (pictured right), presented the donation in a ceremony at Ft. Knox, Ky. on December 12, 2015 to Robert Thomas (pictured left), COO of Operation Homefront, to support the Holiday Meals for Military program. Since 2008, Jim Beam has donated more than $2.5 million to Operation Homefront through various charitable efforts.

Seventh generation Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe, together with his son Freddie, Jr. and numerous Jim Beam volunteers, deliver meal kits to military families at Ft. Knox, KY as part of Operation Homefront's Holiday Meals for Military program on Saturday, December 12. During the 2015 holiday season, Jim Beam(R) Bourbon is helping supply 8,500 meal kits across 25 bases including Fort Campbell, Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and Illinois' Scott Air Force Base.

FORT KNOX, Ky., Dec. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Jim Beam® Bourbon, the world's No. 1 bourbon, proudly salutes military men and women with a $100,000 donation to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. The donation, which was presented last weekend by seventh generation Jim Beam Master Distiller Fred Noe in support of Operation Homefront's Holiday Meals for Military program, underscores Jim Beam's ongoing commitment to America's service men and women.

"At Jim Beam, we're honored to support our military heroes and call them part of our family," said Noe. "As America's native spirit, Bourbon is engrained in the history of our great country. We proudly salute those who defend our freedom each and every day."

The Holiday Meals for Military program began at Thanksgiving in 2009 following a chance encounter in a supermarket in Utica, N.Y., near Fort Drum. A soldier, his wife and infant had a handful of grocery items they could not afford, so a Jim Beam employee picked up the $12 cost. The first Holiday Meals for Military Families event was held weeks later, providing 500 meal kits to military families, and the program has since expanded to 8,500 meals kits on 25 bases this holiday season and will include items such as pumpkin pie mix, stuffing and cut green beans. In addition to Ft. Knox, participating bases include Fort Campbell, Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and Illinois' Scott Air Force Base among others.

"Our military members work tirelessly to protect the freedoms we enjoy daily in an increasingly complex world," said Brig Gen (ret) John I. Pray, Jr., president & CEO of Operation Homefront. "Thanks to the active support of Jim Beam and other incredibly supportive sponsors, we have been able to greatly extend the reach of our holiday meal program and make the holiday season brighter for our military families."

Jim Beam has donated more than $2.5 million to Operation Homefront through a variety of charitable programming efforts since 2008, including partnership on this year's Holiday Meals program and hosting a local fundraising dinner at the company's flagship distillery in Clermont, Ky., this fall. The company is also proud to employ numerous veterans and active military personnel.

About Beam Suntory Inc.
As the world's third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher's, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

About Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers with nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of military families since its inception in 2002. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity watchdog groups, nationally, 92 percent of Operation Homefront's expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.

Jim Beam® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% Alc./Vol.
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