Five-year effort between NHLC and Crown Royal has generated $51,120 to support troops, along with thousands of bags for storing troops’ night-vision goggles.
CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) partnered with Crown Royal for the fifth year in a row to collect thousands of Crown Royal bags for U.S. troops, who utilize the bags as lightweight storage for night-vision goggles. During November and December, NHLC customers donated more than 21,200 Crown Royal bags at all 79 New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets and at select New Hampshire restaurants and lounges. The 21,200 bags collected this year marks a single-year record in New Hampshire.
“This impactful campaign provides a simple yet meaningful way for NHLC customers to support the courageous men and women serving our country abroad and we are proud to help facilitate this initiative with Crown Royal and North American Spirits & Wine Brokerage (division of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits),” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “This effort to collect Crown Royal bags began right here in New Hampshire and it is gratifying to see the continued commitment and generosity of our customers and our 1,400 employees. NHLC is always prepared to develop strategic partnerships to benefit New Hampshire’s nonprofit community and this partnership with Crown Royal is a perfect example of that.”
All 21,200 Crown Royal bags collected in New Hampshire – in addition to 1,600 bags collected in Vermont and Maine – were sent to Operation Care for Troops, a New Hampshire nonprofit organization that sends care packages to troops abroad. In conjunction with this effort, Diageo, Crown Royal’s parent company, donated $10,000 to Operation Care for Troops. Diageo also presented Operation Care for Troops an additional $1,120 in donations collected at select New Hampshire restaurants and lounges. Since the inception of this program, Crown Royal has donated a total of $51,120 to Operation Care for Troops.
In addition to the New Hampshire effort, Crown Royal donates $1 for every bag donated at liquor stores across the country during November and December to the nonprofit organization, Packages from Home, up to a maximum of $25,000.
“It is truly inspiring to see this outpouring of support from the people of New Hampshire and nationally year after year,” said Jim Adelmann, director of sales at Diageo, Crown Royal’s parent company. “Nationally, Crown Royal has collected hundreds of thousands of bags for troops abroad through this program, but this campaign began as a New Hampshire initiative. We thank NHLC and its customers for continuing to support this important program.”
U.S. troops have utilized Crown Royal bags as lightweight and convenient alternatives to the standard-issue, but bulky military-grade cases troops receive. Utilizing Crown Royal bags for storing night vision goggles saves space and weight in their packs, according to Operation Care for Troops. Operation Care for Troops, which sends 1,200 to 1,500 care packages to deployed troops every 10 weeks, has been including Crown Royal bags in its packages for about seven years. The partnership between Crown Royal and NHLC began five years ago as an effort to support Operation Care for Troops, which at the time was known as Moore*Mart.
“Operation Care for Troops greatly appreciates this continued support from NHLC and Crown Royal, which makes such a difference for our troops abroad,” said Ted Luszey, co-founder and director of operations for Operation Care for Troops. Luszey said every New Hampshire unit has received a care package from Operation Care for Troops. “We are proud to say that 100-percent of donations go directly to our troops and a donation of this magnitude has a remarkable impact on our ability to make sure our troops receive the supplies and care they need.”
NHLC has worked with suppliers and brokers to raise more than $1.06 million for nonprofit organizations making an impact in New Hampshire during the past four years. The New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, Homes for Our Troops, Operation Care for Troops, Easterseals New Hampshire, Toys for Tots, New Hampshire Food Bank, Granite United Way, Concord Hospital, Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire have all benefitted from NHLC’s support.
