More than 200,000 cans of drinking water from MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch are on the way to western Iowa and eastern Nebraska to aid residents and first responders affected by historic flooding.
MillerCoors, in partnership with can-maker Ball Corp. and carton-maker Graphic Packaging International, is sending 100,000 cans to Omaha, Neb., and Sioux City, Iowa. After the cans arrive at MillerCoors distributors — Glazer’s Beer and Beverage in Sioux City; Southwest Beverage in Creston, Iowa; and Premier Midwest Beverage in Omaha, they’ll head to local organizations providing aid, which will distribute the cans as needed.
Thousands of acres in the region are underwater, including cities, towns and farmland, the result of historic flooding of the Missouri River and its tributaries. At least three people have died, farmland is ruined, hundreds of structures have been destroyed and drinking water plants have been contaminated, creating a need for clean water.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts this week called the floods "the most widespread disaster we've had in our state's history."
And in Iowa, portions of which also are underwater, 81 of its 99 counties are under a flood warning as of Wednesday, according to the Des Moines Register.
“Access to safe drinking water is critical and prioritizes the safety of everyone, especially in times of crisis,” said Michael Nordman, community affairs manager at MillerCoors. “Through the donation of the water cans, we aim to provide comfort and relief to Iowa residents impacted by the flooding.”
The water is canned at the MillerCoors brewery in Trenton, Ohio, and stored at the MillerCoors brewery in Elkton, Va., from where it was shipped courtesy of carrier C.H. Robinson.
The shipment is part of MillerCoors’ ongoing commitment to communities in crisis, which launched in 2017 in partnership with Ball. Together, the two companies are committed to providing more than 2 million cans to the Red Cross to aid communities affected by disasters.
Anheuser-Busch also said this week that its Fort Collins, Colo., brewery sent 100,000 cans of water to the Red Cross and other organizations in Nebraska to aid in the disaster.