Cruzan Rum Establishes The 'Island Spirit Fund' To Ensure No Community Weathers A Storm Alone

Cruzan Rum, producer of some of the world's finest aged rums, is proud to announce the launch of the Island Spirit Fund. Created in the aftermath of the destruction caused by last year's Hurricane Maria, the Island Spirit Fund supports disaster relief efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands and across the United States, helping rebuild and renew communities impacted by storms of all kinds.

As founding sponsor, Cruzan Rum has committed to donate $1 from every case of rum sold to the Island Spirit Fund, meaning each Cruzan Rum bottle purchased will provide aid to communities in need. This commitment alone is expected to generate nearly $1 million for the Island Spirit Fund this year. Coupled with generous case-matching donation commitments from several distributor partners and anticipated public fundraising, Cruzan Rum aims to raise $2 million for the Fund by the end of 2018.

"Last year, our home island of St. Croix faced many challenges in the devastating wake of Hurricane Maria, but the resiliency of the Crucian people and our sense of community never wavered," said Gary Nelthropp, Cruzan Rum's Master Distiller. "That's what we like to call our 'island spirit,' and I'm honored to help extend this spirit to others in a sustainable and ongoing way through the Fund, ensuring that no community, near or far, weathers a storm alone."

Established in partnership with Global Giving, a nonprofit organization that connects donors with grassroots projects around the world, the Island Spirit Fund provides disaster relief by issuing grants to local organizations with boots on the ground and lasting relationships in affected areas. The Fund prioritizes both short-term recovery and long-term stability projects, including: environmental rebuilding, community planning, and workforce development and job creation. By listening directly to affected communities' needs, the Island Spirit Fund takes a customized approach to providing relief including, but not limited to, nourishment, supplies and volunteer support. In the immediate future, the Fund is focused on the areas still recovering from Hurricane Maria's devastation and is also prepared to respond to future storms.

"We're proud to support our Cruzan family and neighbors in the USVI and beyond with the launch of the Island Spirit Fund, and we're incredibly humbled by the way our distributor partners have stepped up to further our efforts," said Rashidi Hodari, VP Marketing, Cruzan Rum. "Our roots in the Caribbean run deep, and by joining together, we're able to provide much needed physical and emotional support beyond the initial days, weeks and months following disaster. We look forward to awakening the 'island spirit' both now and in the years to come."

Individuals interested in making their own contributions to the Fund can do so by purchasing any of Cruzan's quality rum products or by making a direct donation via IslandSpiritFund.org. In addition to the brand's case-matching donation program, Cruzan will also absorb the cost of all transactional fees associated with all donations to the Island Spirit Fund, so that 100% of donors' generosity goes directly to communities in need.

The establishment of the Island Spirit Fund is the most recent effort by Cruzan and its parent company, Beam Suntory, to provide aid to those in need. In 2017, Beam Suntory and its parent company provided more than $2 million in cash and in-kind support for disaster relief in the U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands and Mexico, which also included a $500,000 donation to the Fund for the Virgin Islands late last year.

For more information about the Island Spirit Fund and Cruzan's award-winning portfolio of rums, please visit www.islandspiritfund.org or CruzanRum.com, or engage with us on social media via www.facebook.com/CruzanRum or Instagram @CruzanRum.

About Cruzan Rum Distillery
Named for the people of St. Croix (Crucians), Cruzan Rum Distillery is a quality spirit, crafted for consumers to embrace all of life's flavors surrounded by quality people. Cruzan Rum, distilled by the Nelthropp family, who has called the island home for eight generations, is a better tasting rum due to its ingredients and a unique five-column distillation process. Cruzan touts one of the cleanest-tasting rums in the industry - a characteristic derived from crafting a spirit with low levels of fusel oils, a by-product of the distillation process which, if not removed, can taint the smell and taste of the rum.

The Cruzan portfolio of rums includes Cruzan Aged Dark Rum, Cruzan Aged Light Rum, Cruzan Single Barrel Rum, Cruzan Estate Diamond Aged Dark Rum, Cruzan Estate Diamond Aged Light Rum, Cruzan Black Strap Rum, and 16 flavored rums infused with natural flavors, such as coconut, mango, black cherry and pineapple. Cruzan Single Barrel Rum and Cruzan Aged Dark Rum were most recently recognized with gold medals in the 2017 Rum Masters awards, a prestigious blind taste-testing competition that chooses the best among rums worldwide in the light, dark, extra-aged, super-premium, and flavor categories.

About Beam Suntory Inc.
As the world's third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher's, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Hornitos and Sauza tequila, EFFEN and Pinnacle vodka, Sipsmith gin, and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Cruzan Rum Distillery, 21%-75.5% Alc./Vol. ©2018 CRUZAN International, Chicago, IL USA
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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