Coca-Cola Co.’s foundation donating $1 million to Haiti relief effort

Coca-Cola fund donating $1M to Haiti relief effort

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola Co.’s charitable arm is donating $1 million to the American Red Cross to go toward earthquake relief in Haiti.

The world’s largest soft drink maker also said it is donating bottled water and other drinks through its bottler in the Dominican Republic.

CEO Muhtar Kent told the company’s 92,000 employees in an e-mail Wednesday the Atlanta-based company is checking on the safety of the 850 people who work for its bottler there. Three Coca-Cola employees who happened to be in Haiti during the earthquake Tuesday were safe and have since gone to the Dominican Republic, the company said.

The company said the plant of its bottling partner, Brasserie de la Couronne, appears to have limited or no structural damage.

Coca-Cola opened its first bottling plant in Haiti in 1928.