Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/101724
SPECIAL REPORT The Industry Pulls Together LIFTING SPIRITS AND GIVING RELIEF AFTER HURRICANE SANDY by David Ransom and Melanie Young-Ransom 144 / the tasting panel / january 2013 PHOTO: STARPIX W hen Hurricane Sandy smashed into the East Coast on October 29 of last year, it scored a direct hit on one of the country's most important hospitality and transportation centers. From restaurants and bars to the companies that supply them, Sandy's impact was felt deeply and instantly across the tri-state region of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Home to many wine and spirits importers, distributors and regional delivery companies, low-lying areas such as Brooklyn's Red Hook, Lower Manhattan, Long Island's South Shore and New Jersey's trucking centers west of the Hudson River were especially hard hit, just as the industry was entering its busiest selling season of the year. Businesses were shuttered; warehouses and trucking leets were damaged; temporary gas shortages, looded tunnels, and impassable roads made deliveries dificult. Still, in the spirit of giving, the industry put its own challenges aside to provide essential recovery and relief to others facing hardship. Pernod Ricard U.S.A. donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to help provide immediate relief for those in need. "Our thoughts are with the huge number of people whose lives have been impacted by this terrible storm," stated Bryan Fry, President and Chief Executive Oficer, Pernod Ricard USA. "In the weeks and months ahead, we will work closely with our distributors and on- and off-premise customers to help ensure a swift recovery in affected communities." Left to right: Genevieve Benoit, co-founder and Executive Director, A Very Special Place, Inc.; Laura Delin, Director of Development, A Very Special Place; Bethenny Frankel, founder of Skinnygirl; Diane Buglioli, co-founder and Deputy Executive Director of A Very special Place, Inc.