CORPORATE SPOTLIGHT TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA organizations across the country are helping community members affected by the current global pandemic, and Tito’s is lending a hand there as well. Since the onset of the pandemic, Tito’s has donated a separate $2 million to local nonprofits in communities across the United States doing what they can to support COVID-19 relief efforts. These organizations include Frontline Foods, Off their Plate, Big Table and GreaterGood.org, among others. or Tito’s Handmade Vodka, it all started in Austin, Texas, in the mid-’90s, on the very same land the company occupies today. More than 23 years later, Tito’s still prides itself in making its vodka in batches using old-fashioned pot stills and taste-testing every batch to make sure fans only get the best. While there’s no cookie-cutter formula for success, founder Bert “Tito” Beveridge’s devotion to creating the best and his passion for giving back to the community have enabled the brand to become the popular product it is today.
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Beyond national and local nonprofit efforts, Tito’s has continued to think of other ways to support those affected by the pandemic and ultimately identified important research initiatives in the company’s home state of Texas with potential to not only help the local community, but hopefully, the world as well. After learning about a research program taking place in Houston, Tito’s donated a grant of $1 million to the Baylor College of Medicine to restart research on a potential vaccine for COVID-19.
Bringing this aforementioned passion for giving back to life, the brand’s Love, Tito’s philanthropy program has empowered the Tito’s team to give back to causes, efforts and organizations that inspire them with the overarching goal to “Turn Spirits into Love & Goodness.” Over the years, Love, Tito’s has supported thousands of nonprofits across the country through event sponsorships, service projects, grants and donations at local and national levels. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Tito’s has continued to support nonprofits, research and communities affected by the pandemic, evolving its approach to meet unfolding needs safely and quickly.
This grant enables Dr. Peter Jay Hotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, dean and associate dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, and their team to continue working on the first two stages of this vaccine’s development. Once these two initial phases are complete, the team can move forward with human safety trials, then focus on the ultimate goal of not only introducing a COVID-19 vaccine accessible to the world, but also a vaccine that may fight future coronavirus outbreaks.
To start, Tito’s pledged a $2 million donation to organizations providing assistance to those in the service industry affected by the current pandemic. This includes an already fulfilled $1.25 million donation between five organizations — Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE), the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) National Charity Foundation, the Southern Smoke Foundation, World Central Kitchen and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The remaining $750,000 donation is going to be determined once additional needs stemming from the pandemic are uncovered. The benefiting organizations help industry members by providing financial assistance in the form of individual grants, supporting education for chefs who turn their restaurants into community kitchens, and helping provide affordable meals to industry members and others in need. Whether it be filling the pantries of struggling families, cooking up a hot meal for a dedicated health care worker or providing care for our four-legged companions, local www.tlw.org
Tito’s is also working with the University of Texas at Austin to support the school’s COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, as well as fund the development of low-cost ventilators. These 500 ventilators are being developed and produced through a collaboration between the University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering, Dell Medical School and the Texas Health Catalyst program. The University of Texas COVID-19 Modeling Consortium is working to help map the spread of COVID-19 and improve preparedness for future pandemic threats, both locally and nationally. Finally, Tito’s is producing hand sanitizer to donate to critical front-line organizations across the country. Since beginning production in late March, Tito’s has produced and packaged over 325 total tons of sanitizer, donating it to well over 400 organizations in 25 states and counting. This is only the beginning. Tito’s is supporting many other national and local efforts mobilizing in cities and states across the country. TLW TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA
Austin, Texas titosvodka.com
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