Veterans Day sees Diageo hold Military Service Appreciation Day

Diageo North America held its eighth annual Military Service Appreciation Day event in honor of Veterans Day.

To support Crown Royal's Purple Bag Project, Diageo employees in New York, NY, Stamford, CT, Plainfield, IL, Lebanon, KY, Portland, OR and Bethesda, MD along with community partners packed the brand's signature purple bags with personal care items, food essentials, and handwritten notes to express gratitude and generosity to US military troops serving overseas and at home.

Inspiring acts of generosity

Since the program’s inception, Crown Royal has continued its mission to inspire big and small acts of generosity by giving back to communities across the country and has supported over 1 million service men and women around the world.

Along with this year's packing efforts, the event featured a virtual fireside conversation with Lorenzo Lopez, Vice President, Corporate Communications for Diageo North America, and retired US Army veteran and special guest, Brigadier General Samuel Lee Kindred.

A symbol of gratitude and generosity to troops

Co-chairs and members of Diageo's business resource group Veterans & Friends of Veterans, distributor partners like Southern Glazers as well as nonprofit organizations such as Packages from Home, iPads for Soldiers, Buffalo Soldiers, and Footsteps to Freedom, joined the event to offer remarks and contribute to the packing efforts.

Veterans & Friends of Veterans works to create an inclusive and supportive atmosphere within Diageo for the veteran community and those who intersect with the veteran community.

“Every year, we feel so honored to partner with Crown Royal, non-profit organizations, and veteran community partners like Packages from Home, to transform our signature Crown Royal bags into essential care packages for active-duty service men and women deployed domestically and abroad," said Diageo North America, Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships, Dr. Danielle Robinson.

"Through this meaningful act, we’ve collectively packed over one million bags to ship to our US military heroes as a symbol of gratitude and generosity to our troops. Our Military Service Appreciation Day packing event is an annual occasion that our Diageo community takes great pride in, and as we continue to expand this initiative, we hope to have an even greater impact on our growing military community in the future.”

Providing charitable donations

In 2013, Diageo established the Diageo Salutes the Troops program to provide year-round support to US veterans, active-duty troops, and their families. The program provides charitable donations and hosts community service events, such as: Donating more than 1,000 iPads to Walter Reed Medical Center and to military personnel serving overseas in the past year, bringing the total number of iPads donated throughout the years to over 12,000 units.

Partnering with the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management to serve war veterans through the Diageo Learning Skills for Life program, which offers job readiness, employability skills and hospitality training to underserved communities in the U.S. Since launching, the program has trained over 180 veterans with an 88% job placement rate.

Committed to maintaining a safe workplace and employee community for all those who have served and are now serving through the Veterans and Friends of Veterans Business Resource Group.

Learn more about Diageo's unwavering commitment to supporting military and veteran communities across the country, including its Society 2030 goals.