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Southern Comfort to Donate up to $250,000 to the Gulf Relief Foundation

New Orleans Original Focusing Funds to Help Plaquemines Parish Fishing Community, Wetlands

June 24, 2010, Louisville, Ky – Southern Comfort announces it will donate up to $250,000 to the Gulf Relief Foundation to help the fishing community and support wetland preservation in Plaquemines Parish. Plaquemines Parish is the location of the famed Woodland Plantation appearing, until recently, on the Southern Comfort label. Created in New Orleans in 1874, Southern Comfort is kicking off the effort with an initial donation of $50,000 while raising the additional $200,000* through a Facebook initiative and a donation per bottle sold campaign.

Beginning today on the Southern Comfort Facebook page, Southern Comfort will donate $1 each time a friend sends a virtual gift to a friend**. Beginning July 1 across the country, Southern Comfort will donate $0.25 for every bottle purchased*** until the end of October when the Voodoo Experience music festival takes place in New Orleans.

“With Katrina, we waited, we waited and we waited, but we don’t wait anymore,” said David Freedman, general manager of WWOZ radio station and a member of the three-person foundation board. “We really appreciate the support we’re getting from Southern Comfort in helping us reach out to the folks who need help right now.”

“Thank you to Southern Comfort for stepping up to the plate and once again supporting our community and the New Orleans region,” said Bill Nungesser, Plaquemines Parish President. “This donation will help our fishermen, who are worried about their way of life, persevere in the face of this adversity. We know it won’t be solved tomorrow and we’re in it for the long haul.”

“New Orleans and Plaquemines Parish are important parts of the history of Southern Comfort. The Gulf Relief Foundation is working to make sure the unique communities and habitats of the Parish and surrounding areas continue to persevere,” said Kerry Walsh Skelly, Global Managing Director, Southern Comfort. “We can all play a small part to create a larger effort to support the Gulf Region and help make sure no one in need slips through the cracks. A unique way of life is threatened and Southern Comfort wants people across the nation to feel part of preserving this incredibly special part of the country.”

The Gulf Relief Foundation (www.gulfaid.org) was established in response to April’s oil spill in the Gulf Region to raise funds to support the well-being of fisherman, wetlands and wildlife in Plaquemines Parish and St. Bernard Parish. The fund will ensure all proceeds are distributed to organizations focused on supporting wetlands/coastal environmental issues & the well-being of fishermen, and the regional seafood industry. The Gulf Relief Foundation kicked their efforts off on May 16 with the Gulf Aid Benefit Concert raising $300,000.

One hundred percent of the Southern Comfort donation will go towards helping the Plaquemines Parish area with the Gulf Relief Foundation recording the impact it has had on the area.

*The total cap for the Facebook and donation per bottle campaigns is $200,000.
**The Facebook donation is capped at $25,000.
***Only 750ml, 1L and 1.75L bottle sizes are eligible for the donation.

About Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort®, a fruit, spice, and whiskey flavored liqueur, was created in New Orleans by bartender M.W. Heron in 1874. Today, it is enjoyed by friends in over 100 countries around the world and continues to grow as an icon brand. Please visit us at SoCopressroom.com, SouthernComfort.com and facebook.com/southerncomfort.

Please Drink Responsibly.
Liqueur, 21-50% Alc. by Volume, Southern Comfort Company, Louisville, KY ©2010

Previous Press Releases

June 22, 2010 – Battle of the Fang: A Looziana Grudge Match

June 17, 2010 – Gulf Aid Art: Artists in Action

May 21, 2010 – Gulf Aid Benefit Concert Raises $300,000

May 12, 2010 – Gulf Aid Benefit Concert to Support Gulf Relief Efforts