Coca-Cola System Donates $5 Million, Hundreds of Thousands of Beverages for Hurricane Aid 

ATLANTA, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coca-Cola Company, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola Bottlers across the U.S. through the Coca-Cola Bottlers Association are donating $5 million to support the relief and rescue efforts in communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The money will be divided among the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Coca-Cola System Hurricane Katrina Employee Relief Fund, which will assist displaced system employees.

   In addition to the $5 million donation, the Company and its bottlers have plants running continually to produce water and other beverages for donation to the relief efforts across the south. Water and product donations to date total hundreds of thousands of cases. "The Coca-Cola System is fully activated to meet the demands," said Company Chairman and CEO Neville Isdell. "We're also working with our supply base to ensure that all our supplier partners are actively participating in our efforts.

   "While all Company employees are safe and accounted for, we still have not heard from many of our bottler colleagues. Hundreds of Coca-Cola families have been displaced by Monday's hurricane and the subsequent flooding. Some know that they will not be able to return to their homes for months. Others still don't even know the extent of the damage to the homes they had to evacuate. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the affected areas they begin the task of rebuilding their lives."