LOS ANGELES, July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NEFT Vodka, the award-winning, ultra-premium vodka handcrafted in the Austrian Alps, announced today that following its first run of Vodka After Dark, a Virtual Cocktail Party Series, it will be donating $2,000 to four bartenders from the South Bay of California who have been particularly impacted by COVID-19. Three have already received the monies and were selected based on need, with a focus on single mothers, which is in line with NEFT's for-cause brand tenet. NEFT is currently looking to identify the fourth single mother from the service industry located in the South Bay who is in particular need due to COVID-19.
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Kaila and son Oliver
Cassidi and daughter Knightley
Anissa and son Micah
The three recipients who have already received the $2,000 donation are as follows:
Kaila Kalantarzadeh– Kaila, a native Californian, and her son Oliver, 5, have been living in the South Bay on and off for about 10 years. At the time of the Shelter-in-Place order, Kaila was working at the Tortilla Cantina in Torrance, CA, where she has been a bartender for about 5 years.
Cassidi Mitchell– Cassidi, mother of 5-year-old daughter Knightley, has been working in the service industry in the South Bay for more than 15 years. Most recently, Cassidi was working at the Purple Orchid, where she has been a bartender for 12 years.
Anissa Vigil – Born and raised in the South Bay, Anissa has been working as a bartender for over 10 years. Anissa was working alongside Kaila at the Tortilla Cantina when the Shelter-in-Place order became effective. Anissa lives with her 15-year-old son, Micah.
"Being a for-cause company has been a key tenet of the NEFT brand and culture from the beginning and, as such, we consistently donate 10 percent of our net proceeds to charitable organizations," said Jeffrey Mahony, CEO of NEFT Vodka. "Our team is dedicated to improving the lives of the most vulnerable among us with an emphasis on at-risk women and children, but with an open mind to all charitable causes. When COVID-19 hit, we saw an opportunity to provide some much-needed aid to our local community through the weekly virtual cocktail series, and I'm pleased we are able to provide some near-term support to Kalia, Anissa and Cassidi."
The weekly livestreaming series was established in April in response to the severe impact the quarantine and related shutdown of restaurants and bars is having on bartenders and others in the service industry. Broadcast live each week from the NEFT Lounge, participants were encouraged to donate money to a dedicated GoFundMe® page. All donations were then matched dollar for dollar by NEFT. Vodka After Dark will be returning for a second series after a brief hiatus. For more information, please follow us on Instagram and Facebook (links below).
NEFT Vodka is currently available in New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming. It is also available online through various outlets, including ReserveBar, Bounty Hunter, Drizly, and Remedy Liquor. Please visit www.getneft.com or www.neftvodka.com for more information.
ABOUT NEFT VODKA USA, INC. Since debuting in the U.S. in 2017, NEFT has received multiple accolades and awards, including: a 98-point rating from The Tasting Panel magazine; named one of the Top-20-Vodka Brands for 2020 by VinePair; Double Gold medals at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, becoming one of only three vodkas to win that recognition consecutively over the past two years; and significantly, won "Best Vodka" in 2018 also from the SFWSC. For additional information, visit www.neftvodka.com.
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