Coke Zero Raises $1.5 Million for Haiti Relief Fund

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Coca-Cola Country Manager Chris Hardy promised that every dollar generated at the inaugural Coke Zero concert, featuring international superstar Sean Kingston, would be donated to relief efforts being coordinated in the devastated Caribbean nation of Haiti. Now, the beverage giants are readying to hand over more than $1.5 million to Food for the Poor, who will coordinate the brand’s relief efforts in Haiti.

"There is no way that we could sit idly by and do nothing to help our Caribbean brothers and sisters. It is heart-wrenching just watching the coverage of the devastation over there," Hardy said.

Hardy explained that the effort of the brand is a real representation of the energy that Coke Zero is made of.

"There is no doubt that we are every bit an entertainment and lifestyle brand. We are all about the people, and wherever there is fun, you will find Coke Zero. But just as we are passionate about entertainment and lifestyle, we understand very well our responsibility as a brand, and we are just as passionate about exercising that responsibility and conscience at every opportunity," the country manager remarked.

The Coke Zero concert, which was held on January 16 at the LIME Golf Academy, saw a throng of music lovers descending on the New Kingston venue. The sold-out concert featured Sean Kingston as headliner alongside a bevy of superb local acts including Etana, Alaine, D’Angel, Chino, Elephant Man, Laden, Tessanne Chin and more, delivered high-entertainment value and effectively delivered on Coke Zero’s promise to “redefine the term complete entertainment package”. However, Hardy and his team are most proud of the contribution they were able to make to Haiti. The concert was a new entry on the entertainment scene, and tales of its highly successful first staging has reached other Coca-Cola Caribbean and Latin American markets.

"Coca-Cola International has donated US$1-million to the relief efforts over in Haiti, but we knew we needed to play our part. We started with the goal to give back to Jamaica, so we put together this great line-up and the whole country was abuzz with excitement about the event, but we were presented with the chance to give back, and give back in a big way, and we stepped up to the responsibility, and did so in a big way," he explained.

At the concert, Coke Zero installed pledge tents to facilitate persons who wanted to donate in person and those tents helped to bump up the figures.

"We must thank the persons who supported the pledge tent and our cause, including the team behind the concert. Everyone was on board with our plan to give the money generated at the concert to Haiti, from Wisynco staff to Jacqui Tyson at From Thought To Finish, to Sharon Burke at Solid Agency, and especially the artistes on the line-up. It was really an all-around team effort."