This holiday season, Coca-Cola Consolidated joined forces with the Carolina Panthers and the David & Nicole Tepper Foundation (DNTF) to bring joy and relief to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina through the 6th Annual Joy to the Carolinas program.

In Swannanoa and Marion, volunteers packed and distributed items like coats, shoes and toys to students at W.D. Williams Elementary and North Cove Elementary, while teachers were treated to lunches and gift cards. The schools were transformed into hubs of holiday joy with festive performances while volunteers spent time removing storm debris and upgrading playgrounds.

The program also honored local frontline workers with a holiday dinner at the iconic Biltmore Estate, where attendees received gift cards, Share-a-Coke bottles and art from local Western North Carolina artists as tokens of appreciation for their tireless recovery efforts. 

Those frontline workers included members of the Coca-Cola Consolidated team, who delivered thousands of cases of water and countless essential supplies, set up food pantries and provided hot meals for impacted communities across western North Carolina. Their dedication embodies Coca-Cola Consolidated’s mission to “Serve Others and Honor God in All We Do.”

“Serving here has not only been an honor, it's been our duty. We have teammates who lost their homes. Customers that are just now reopening their doors. Friends and family grappling with the shock of it all,” said Heather Hucks, vice president of consumer connections for Coca-Cola Consolidated. 

America’s beverage companies are proud to give back, helping the resilient communities we call home rebuild while celebrating the holiday season together.