Military Families Win With 205 Game-Winning 'Walk-offs'

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A pinch-hitter blasts a solo home run with the score tied in the bottom of the tenth inning. A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the twelfth breaks a tie and wins it for the home team. A batter gets hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the thirteenth, scoring the winning run from third.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121005/NY87609-INFO)

All are walk-offs. Moments like these happened all year during the just-concluded baseball regular season. And all have created heroes for the home team.

Each walk-off also has made a difference for a family of a wounded or fallen solider, thanks to Budweiser's "Walk-off a Hero" program – a season-long campaign that raised $2.5 million for the Folds of Honor Foundation (FHF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational scholarships to families of fallen or injured soldiers. The 205 total walk-off wins during the 2012 regular season will help provide 205 scholarships to recipient families.

"Walk-offs are one of the most exciting ways to win in baseball," said Rob McCarthy, vice president of Budweiser at Anheuser-Busch. "Knowing that each walk-off this season will help support and honor our wounded or fallen heroes and their families made each walk-off even more exciting and meaningful."

For each of the 205 walk-off wins during the 2012 regular season, Budweiser donated $5,000 to FHF. In addition to the "Walk-off a Hero" program, Budweiser contributed a portion of all sales from May 20 through July 7, raising a total of $2.5 million for FHF.

"Thanks to Budweiser and the 'Walk-off a Hero' program, we can now provide 205 more deserving military families with educational scholarships and incredible opportunities," said Major Dan Rooney, president and founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation. "The $4.5 million that Budweiser has contributed to our Foundation over the past two years has helped us bring these families healing, hope and the opportunity to realize their dreams."

Budweiser presented the donation to Major Dan Rooney and FHF on Oct. 3 in front of 42,509 people at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Major Dan Rooney founded FHF in 2007 to give back to the spouses and children of soldiers killed or disabled in service to our country by providing them with educational scholarships. FHF, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, has provided more than 3,500 educational scholarships to military families across the country since its creation.

Since 1987, Anheuser-Busch and its Foundation have donated nearly $11 million to military charities, including the USO, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Pentagon Memorial Fund, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Hispanic War Veterans of America, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Korean War and Vietnam War Memorials.

About Folds of Honor
FHF was founded in May 2007 by Major Dan Rooney, a former F-16 Fighter Pilot with the Oklahoma Air National Guard, PGA Professional, and USGA member. A decorated military pilot, Maj. Rooney has served three combat tours in Iraq. It was after his second tour, while a passenger on a commercial flight, that Maj. Rooney witnessed an event that would profoundly change his life. As the plane landed, the pilot announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have an American hero on board – Corporal Brock Bucklin. And his twin brother, Corporal Brad Bucklin, is accompanying him home from Iraq. As a sign of respect, please remain seated while Cpl. Bucklin's family receives him in his final homecoming." Maj. Rooney watched through the window of the plane as the flag-draped casket was lowered. He saw a family waiting for Brock, and a little four-year old boy waiting for his father. This tragic homecoming inspired Maj. Rooney to create the Folds of Honor Foundation. To learn more about FHF, visit www.foldsofhonor.org.

About Anheuser-Busch
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 47.7 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.

For more information, contact:
Tony Paraino, 314.577.3453
[email protected]
Laura Garner, 314.552.6764
[email protected]  

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch