Coors Light Joins the Parade

Official Beer Sponsor Celebrates Puerto Rican Summertime Festivities While Supporting Educational Endeavors

MILWAUKEE and GOLDEN, Colo., June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the historically largest Hispanic festivities take place this week to celebrate Puerto Rican heritage. In New York, three million spectators are expected to span 42 blocks in Manhattan for the 52nd annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, where Reggaeton legend Tito "El Bambino" will perform on the Coors Light Float. In Chicago, the week-long Fiestas Puertorriquenas include the 43rd Puerto Rican Day Parade, which is the largest Hispanic event in the Windy City, attracting an estimated 700,000 people.

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These mega-events and parades are sponsored this year by Coors Light, the best-selling beer in Puerto Rico and New York City. This is the third year in a row that Coors Light is sponsoring the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

To continue the celebrations, Coors Light is helping develop the next generation of leaders by providing $75,000 in scholarships to the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and Diversity Foundation Scholarship Funds. Students nationwide who exemplify academic excellence and a commitment to advancing Puerto Rican culture, heritage or education are eligible to apply through certified affiliates of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Additionally, Coors Light is launching the Emboricuate campaign. Emboricuate invites everyone to join in the fun, share the pride of being a boricua (Puerto Rican) regardless of your cultural background, and celebrate the heritage of the Caribbean with refreshment as cold as the Rocky Mountains. The eye-catching visuals will be on subway platforms, in supermarkets, bodegas and bars, and even on hundreds of Emboricuate domino playing stations set up at local clubs and establishments.

To reinforce the pride in Borinquen Querido, legal-drinking-age consumers in several states can enter to win a trip for two to Puerto Rico ($3,500 trip value).

"Puerto Rico, or la Isla del Encanto, has enriched the daily lives of those of us who make our homes stateside," said Joedis Avila, Coors Light multicultural relations manager. "The contributions Puerto Ricans have made in our society are especially evident in politics, economic development, education, music, sports, our local communities and even the ranks of our military. That pride is at the core of these celebrations. You cannot escape the passion, vitality and enthusiasm exemplified in our Puerto Rican Day festivities. Since Coors Light is about bringing people together for good times, this is one fiesta we don't want to miss."

"More than 12 million viewers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico tune in to our televised parade each year," said Carlos Velasquez, marketing director, National Puerto Rican Day Parade. "That's an enormous number. Yet equally important is the impact we can make in the lives of 25 young people and their families through the generous scholarship donations Coors Light is making to encourage our youth to achieve their dreams and ambitions through education and hard work."

The National Puerto Rican Day Parade and Diversity Foundation Scholarship Funds ensure that students will be able to complete their high school education and/or continue their studies at an institution of higher learning. More than 500 students from 25 states have benefited from the program since its inception in 1997.

Coors Light wants these and all celebrations to be remembered for all the right reasons. Therefore, the brand encourages everyone to have fun, drink responsibly and celebrate responsibly, which may include planning ahead and designating a driver or calling a cab. This message is highlighted in a special poster designed specifically for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

About MillerCoors

Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MillerCoors brews full-calorie beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel's craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and two microbreweries, the Leinenkugel's 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to become the best beer company in America by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.