I’ve been saying it for years… sweet tea is always there for you in times of need.
Much like the Carolinas were hit hard with flash flooding in September of last year, South-central Texas was ravaged by flash flooding around the 4th of July. Over 130 people have been confirmed deceased, with many of those numbers tragically coming from Camp Mystic – a Christian girls camp located in Texas Hill Country that it is currently grieving the unfathomable loss of 27 campers and counselors.
Ever since the devastating waters rose and caused so much death and destruction, many have wondered how they can help. We’ve seen a number of benefit concerts put together by some of the biggest country music artists in the business, but they aren’t the only ones that have rushed to figure out a way to assist with disaster relief.
Milo’s, a company that makes one heck of a jug of sweet tea, made the tough decision to halt production at their Tulsa, Oklahoma plant days after the disaster struck Texas. Why? Because they wanted to give back to the community that was desperate for help, so Milo’s repurposed their facility to roll out bottled water instead of tea and lemonade.
They were ultimately able to send over 119,000 bottles of water to help assist Texas flood victims and those working with disaster relief, as you can see and hear more about in the video below:
You hate to see the sweet tea stop flowing, but you love to see Milo’s changing course to help those in need (they got back to making sweet tea soon after).
“Yesterday, we made the decision to pause tea and lemonade production at Milo’s Tea Company, Inc. at our Tulsa, Oklahoma plant – not for a business reason, but because our neighbors in Texas need clean drinking water more than anything else right now, and disaster relief is something we feel strongly about.
On Sunday (July 20), five truckloads – 124 pallets and more than 119,000 bottles – of Milo’s bottled water will arrive at the San Antonio Food Bank to support flood relief efforts in a community that’s experienced unimaginable loss. As a mother, wife and human, my prayers go out to all those impacted by the horrific flooding in Texas. And, as the Proud CEO of Milo’s, I am thankful that we can do a small, little something to help.”
Wallwork went on to explain that she and the rest of the team at Milo’s worked quickly to make their donation happen, and that everyone involved from the top to the bottom of the company was on board with helping out the great people of Texas:
“Our team’s response was swift. It came together in just 24 hours. Every single function at Milo’s – from operations and supply chain to quality and logistics – rallied to make it happen. It’s the definition of our HAT values: Hungry. Agile. Together. We’re also incredibly grateful to our transportation partner R.E. Garrison Trucking, Inc., who donated the freight, and to Feeding America and H-E-B, whose partnerships make swift, meaningful responses like this possible.
Disaster response has long been one of the pillars of our Corporate Responsibility commitment at Milo’s. From Hurricane Helene in North Carolina earlier this year to the flooding in TX, we’ll continue showing up authentically where we’re needed – with heart, humility, and help. That’s the essence of being a ‘People First’ company.”
Sweet tea is always a hero in my eyes. This story – and the commendable move by Milo’s – just affirms that belief.
