LA Latinos To Honor Anheuser-Busch For Community Support

Anheuser-Busch's Decades of Support for Latino Community to be Recognized at Los Angeles Gala

Company Receives 'Corporate Social Responsibility Award' From MALDEF

ST. LOUIS, -- To recognize Anheuser-Busch's dedication to partnering with the Latino community in the United States, the company will be recognized with the Corporate Social Responsibility Award from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

The company's partnerships with the Latino community span more than 100 years and include support for a variety of organizations.

The award will be given tonight, at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel, when MALDEF hosts its 35th Annual Los Angeles Awards Gala to recognize civic leaders and corporate citizens for their extraordinary work with the Latino community.

Also being honored will be Actress Eva Longoria Parker, who will receive the Community Services Award; Anthony Solana Jr., who will receive the Excellence in Legal Service Award; and Dr. Rodolfo Acuna, who will be honored with the MALDEF Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Our Honorees this year continue the tradition of not only sacrifice for others but inspiring those around to do more for the community," stated Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel. "It is an honor to acknowledge these individuals as a demonstration that we do not stand alone in our mission. Anheuser-Busch has been a courageous and generous supporter of MALDEF over several decades, and Anheuser-Busch's example of steadfast and principled support has aided organizations in the Latino community in incalculable ways."

In choosing Anheuser-Busch for this award, MALDEF noted as one example its considerable support for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). In the past three decades, the brewer has been the largest corporate contributor in fund-raising efforts for HSF, with the company and its 600 wholesalers nationwide contributing more than $24 million.

"Whether supporting programs to promote Latino education or economic and leadership development, our involvement in the Latino community is just one component of our strong corporate commitment to support causes that are good for society," said Margarita E. Flores, senior director of Community Affairs at Anheuser-Busch.

Overall, and during the past two decades alone, grants and contributions from Anheuser-Busch to support the Latino community have totaled more than $58 million, Flores said. She added that more than 18,000 college students have benefited from scholarships awarded through the HSF.

In choosing Anheuser-Busch for the Corporate Social Responsibility award, MALDEF also cited A-B's leadership in promoting responsible drinking and preventing underage drinking. For nearly three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have invested more than $750 million in community-based programs to promote responsibility and fight alcohol abuse.

"We are proud that our efforts, along with those of many others, have helped reduce underage drinking and drunk driving, and we will continue to be a part of the solution to these issues," Flores said.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation, advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher education scholarships. For more information on MALDEF or to purchase tickets for the gala, please visit www.maldef.org.

For more information on Anheuser-Busch's work in the Latino community, visit www.latinobud.com.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 49.2 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired Global Companies list in 2009. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world's largest recyclers of aluminum cans. 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.

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch