Anheuser-Busch donates 98 cases of water to Napoleon FD

Matt Shaver, far left, of Daniel L. Jacob & Co., delivered 98 cases of water to the Napoleon Township Fire Department, thanks to a program sponsored by the Anheuser-Busch Company. To his right are Firefighter Grant Burnett, Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Holbrook, Fire Chief Greg Bickford, and Firefighter Becky Downes.

Story and photos
By John Hummer
Editor

The Napoleon Township Fire Department was the recipient of 98 cases of fresh drinking water – that’s over 2,300 cans of water – last week, thanks to a program sponsored by the Anheuser-Busch Company and their partner, the National Volunteer Fire Council. Napoleon Township’s department is the first in Jackson County to benefit from the program.

“Four years ago, Anheuser-Busch started a program to support local fire departments with clean drinking water,” said Matt Shaver, sales execution coordinator for Daniel L. Jacob & Company of Jackson, a distributor for Anheuser-Busch who delivered the water to the department. He noted the program now operates in 46 states and has assisted 450 fire departments with 1.5 million cases of water. “We’re happy to help the community,” Shaver stated.

Napoleon Township Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Holbrook led the effort to procure the water donation from Anheuser-Busch. He noted that the National Volunteer Fire Council is the organization that teams up with Anheuser-Busch to make the water donations possible.

Holbrook expects the water to last the department about a year. “In addition, we’ll be able to give it to the mutual aid companies that come and help us on our calls,” he said. “It’s good for everybody to stay hydrated.” The water will also be used to give to other first responders on calls as well as victims and their families of fires and rescue runs.

“I just want to thank Anheuser-Busch, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and our local distributor, Daniel L. Jacob & Company, for this donation of canned water,” Holbrook said.