Modelo® Doubles Down with Leave No Veteran Behind through The Modelo Fighting Chance Project
Continued efforts provide debt-relieving scholarships and transitional job opportunities to enable veterans to serve their communities
CHICAGO, October 30, 2020 – Modelo, the beer brewed for those with The Fighting Spirit™, continues to reinforce its cause marketing campaign – The Modelo Fighting Chance Project – with partner and Chicago-based nonprofit Leave No Veteran Behind. For many veterans, the fight isn’t over when they return home, and adjusting to civilian life presents unique challenges. Many veterans have a higher unemployment rate and insufficient healthcare. When coupled with the burden of student loan debt, it can be nearly impossible to find a path to face these obstacles head-on.
In its second year of the partnership, Modelo’s funding will continue to provide educational scholarships and support Leave No Veteran Behind’s transitional jobs program, offering veterans a fresh financial start so they can continue to serve their communities.
Veterans have an inherent Fighting Spirit, but still face real challenges. Modelo is helping to address these critical social issues by funding scholarships for five deserving veterans nationwide, who are now completely education debt-free. In addition, Modelo’s support will help fund a transitional jobs program that places an average of 70-100 veterans each day in jobs dedicated to preventing violence in at-risk neighborhoods. To receive scholarships or job assistance, veterans commit to pay it forward through 100-400 hours of community service, using both their military skills and civilian education to create stronger, more successful communities here at home.
“We launched The Modelo Fighting Chance Project in 2018 to give back to the people and communities that helped build and inspire our brand, and Leave No Veteran Behind embodies that mission,” said Greg Gallagher, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Modelo. “We are proud of our continued efforts to celebrate veterans’ military service. Now, we’re giving them a fighting chance to achieve financial independence, helping to empower them to build a better life as civilians and continue to serve their communities.”
Education is an essential lifeline for veterans after the military. While they have countless intangible skills, many veterans require industry-specific education and training to begin successful civilian careers4. The five Leave No Veteran Behind scholarship recipients all have a different story, but each has demonstrated a Fighting Spirit and commitment to serving their country – both at home and abroad. 2020 Veteran recipients include:
“These heroes pursue higher education to better themselves as soldiers and citizens, bringing their expertise to both the military and civilian workplace,” said Eli Williamson, co-founder of Leave No Veteran Behind. “We can’t afford to let them slip through the cracks once they return home. They urgently need our support.”
Modelo will raise awareness of its support of Leave No Veteran Behind through a social campaign running 11/5-11/11.Visit www.modelousa.com/fighting-chance and www.leavenoveteranbehind.org/donate to learn more and donate directly.
About The Modelo Fighting Chance Project
Launched in 2018, The Modelo Fighting Chance Project is a cause marketing campaign to help empower those that embody The Fighting Spirit™, yet need support to achieve their full potential. Through this initiative, Modelo is committed to supporting unified and resilient communities across three key pillars: social justice, economic empowerment, and emergency relief. Since 2019, Modelo has supported the veteran community through its partnership with Chicago-based nonprofit Leave No Veteran Behind.
About Modelo®
Born in 1925 in the small town of Tacuba, Mexico, Modelo has been bringing distinctive high-quality beer to people ever since, including Modelo Especial®, Modelo Negra®, Modelo Chelada Especial™, Modelo Chelada Tamarindo Picante™, Modelo Chelada Limón y Sal™, and new Modelo Mango Y Chile™. As the #1 imported beer in the U.S., Modelo Especial surpassed 100MM cases sold in 2018. The Modelo family of beers are exclusively brewed, imported and marketed for the U.S. by Constellations Brands.
About Leave No Veteran Behind
Leave No Veteran Behind (LNVB) is one of the only veteran non-profits built around the premise that every veteran is a tremendous asset to their community. LNVB is a national social venture that invests in veterans to build better communities through employment training, transitional jobs, and our veteran educational debt relief scholarship. The organization started 10 years ago by two Army veterans from the south side of Chicago, when they encountered transition challenges and a want to improve their community. Leave No Veteran Behind invests in heroes who have served their country honorably and who seek to continue their service as assets in communities across America. LNVB is a 501c3. For more information, visit www.leavenoveteranbehind.org.
About Constellation Brands
At Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe sharing a toast, unwinding after a day, celebrating milestones, and helping people connect, are Worth Reaching For. It’s worth our dedication, hard work, and the bold calculated risks we take to deliver more for our consumers, trade partners, shareholders, and communities in which we live and work. Today, we are a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and Pacifico, and our high-quality premium wine and spirits brands, including the Robert Mondavi Brand Family, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, The Prisoner Brand Family, SVEDKA Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrands and visit www.cbrands.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Stephanie McGuane
(312) 741-2477
Tom Aiello
(312) 620-0206