Robby Gordon Motorsports Donates $10,000 to Fun Alcohol
Education Initiatives at Rice University During Alcohol Awareness
Month
Jim Beam, America’s Leading Distiller, promotes responsible decisions
about alcohol
April 15, 2005 –– As part of the Jim Beam drink smart® campaign, Robby
Gordon Motorsports has donated $10,000 to Rice University in Houston to
fund alcohol education programs there. Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 7
Jim Beam Chevrolet, presented a check to Rice University officials at
Texas Motor Speedway today – during “Alcohol Awareness Month”. The
donation is part of a larger $100,000 fund given to Robby Gordon by Jim
Beam bourbon to implement The Century Council’s Alcohol 101 PlusTM
education program and related alcohol education initiatives throughout
the year.
“It seems particularly appropriate to receive this donation
during April - National Alcohol Awareness Month,” said Emily Page,
Director of the Rice University Health and Wellness Center. “We are
excited at the dedication shown by Robby Gordon Motorsports, Jim Beam
Brands Co., and The Century Council, to educate students on this
important issue and we look forward to increasing our alcohol education
and awareness efforts long after National Alcohol Awareness Month is
over.”
Jim Beam is a veteran supporter of motorsports and has an
established history of promoting social responsibility through its drink
smart® program. Since 2003 Jim Beam has been a major contributor to the
Michael Andretti Foundation founded by Michael Andretti, former Indy
Racing League (IRL) driver and current Team Co-Owner of Andretti Green
Racing, Inc. During the 2005 IRL Series and NASCAR NEXTEL® Cup seasons
Andretti and Gordon will donate a total of $200,000 courtesy of Jim Beam
- to universities across the country – all to go toward alcohol
education.
“As a race car driver, I hope I can raise the visibility of
responsibility among students,” Gordon said. “Jim Beam is building on
an existing platform that’s proven great for motorsports and for
communicating the drink smart message: It’s a very simple and sensible
formula – do not drink if you are under 21, never drive drunk, and if
you are legal purchase age and choose to drink – do so in moderation. In
other words – drink smart.”
Throughout 2005, Robby Gordon Motorsports will present one local
university in various NASCAR markets this season with a $10,000 check on
behalf of his organization and Jim Beam. The donations will help fund
each school’s implementation of The Century Council’s Alcohol 101 Plus
education program and other alcohol education initiatives.
Jim Beam/Robby Gordon Motorsports Sponsorship
Jim Beam partnered with Robby Gordon Motorsports, for the 2005 NASCAR
season, serving as a primary sponsor for a select number of races for
the No. 7 car driven by Team Owner Robby Gordon and as an associate
sponsor for an additional number of races. In addition to the Jim Beam
logo, the company’s drink smart® icon is featured on the Jim Beam car
and Gordon’s firesuit to communicate the importance of responsible
decisions about alcohol.
About Robby Gordon Motorsports
Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Gordon, the team is coming off
a successful inaugural season in the NASCAR Busch Series. The team has
turned their focus to building a successful NASCAR NEXTEL® Cup Series
program to debut at Daytona 500 and expanding an already successful
multi-faceted racing program that includes the Busch series and IRL.
About Jim Beam
Jim Beam Brands Co. is an operating company of Jim Beam Brands
Worldwide, Inc., an international distilled spirits and fine wines
company that manufactures and markets more than 80 brands in 160
countries, including Jim Beam® bourbon, the #1 selling bourbon in the
U.S. and the world. Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. is part of Fortune
Brands, Inc. , the consumer products company.
For more information about Jim Beam and drink smart, please visit
www.jimbeam.com <http://www.jimbeam.com/> and www.drinksmart.com
<http://www.drinksmart.com/> .
Jim Beam – drink smart®
Jim Beam encourages all consumers to drink smart®. Simply put, drink
smart® means making responsible choices concerning alcohol. For persons
under age 21, that means not drinking alcohol at all, and for
legal-purchase age adults, it means drinking responsibly, in moderation
and not driving drunk.
The Century Council
Launched in May 1991 and funded by America’s leading
distillers, The Century Council is a national not-for-profit
organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking,
and to promoting responsible decision-making regarding beverage alcohol.
Since 1991, The Century Council’s funding companies have invested nearly
$130 million in programs that fight against the misuse of their
products. For more information, visit www.centurycouncil.org
<http://www.centurycouncil.org/> .
Alcohol 101 Plus Education Program
Since its launch in 2003, nearly 2,000 colleges have already
received or registered for Alcohol 101 Plus materials, proving that
campuses value this unique resource. Set on a “virtual campus,” the new
program builds on the best features of the previous version, the
award-winning Alcohol 101. New content addresses the problems of
specific at-risk populations in college settings, such as: first-year
students; Greeks; athletes; and judicial-policy offenders.
