Johnnie Walker Gets Charitable

Holy Crap! I'm about to say something nice about Diageo :)

I grew up in NYC and there you had 2 choices. Mets or Yankees. And since the Mets were in Queens, I went with the Yankees. Some of my fondest memories growing up are associated with the Yankees. My dad worked on the renovation of Yankee Stadium, and I got to run around on the field during the reconstruction - one of my brothers still has the bleacher bench my dad brought home one day.

During the renovation we would schlep to Queens to watch the Yankees (they played at Shea Stadium during the renovation), and I'd get to sit in the Press Box and play with the Scoreboard after games. (A friend of my Dad's worked the score board at Shea). Good Times. But once again, I digress.

On Opening Day, Tuesday, Diageo announced plans to donate $100 to Recording Artists, Actors, and Athletes Against Drunk Driving (RADD) every time a Yankee player walks at me beloved Yankee Stadium - all through the 2006 season.

In my book, Scotch & Baseball were made for each other (OK maybe not, but I'd rather have a glass of JW Red than an $8 Miller Lite), and I'm glad to see Diageo supporting responsible drinking - especially in regards to Scotch consumption.

As you may know, the corporate symbol of the Johnnie Walker brand is the "Striding Man" Johnnie Walker himself, and the new Johnnie Walker campaign encourages you to "keep walking". So this is a clever fit.

In a cool move to raise awareness about drunk driving (and a great public relations move), Wade Boggs, Hall of Famer and former Red Sox and Yankees third baseman handed out NYC Subway MetroCards before the Yankees game on April 11th to encourage adult fans to enjoy the game responsibly and get home safely.

Said Boggs:

I'm proud to help launch a program that reminds everyone not to drive drunk. This is a subject that I'm passionate about, particularly when it is delivered with such a positive voice.

Chris Parsons, Vice President, Scotch Marketing, Diageo:

This program is a huge opportunity for Diageo and Johnnie Walker to raise awareness of our efforts against drunk driving. As we approached the start of the baseball season, we saw the opportunity to promote responsible drinking, and we're thrilled to work with Yankee legend Wade Boggs to help us do so.

Let's hope the Yanks are walked a lot this season. And hit a lot of homers too.

Wade Boggs greets fans on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium.