New York Yankee Catcher Jorge Posada and His Wife Laura Advocate Responsible Choices This Holiday Season

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Talking with your children about staying safe during the holidays is the theme of a new public service announcement featuring New York Yankee Catcher Jorge Posada and his wife Laura. Produced by The Charmer Sunbelt Group, one of the nation's leading distributors of spirits, fine wines, beer and bottled water, the PSA will run in Spanish and English on radio stations in New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC, urging parents to remind their family members to adhere to beverage alcohol laws and reinforcing that 21 is the legal drinking age.

“Participating in this campaign made clear sense.”

“Jorge Posada is a leader on and off the baseball field and together with his wife Laura, they are deeply respected for their contributions to the community. We are gratified that they would lend their voices to this important message,” said Charles Merinoff, Vice Chairman and CEO of The Charmer Sunbelt Group who has made fighting underage drinking and drunk driving a top priority.

“We were proud to assist in delivering this important message, as the best holiday is a safe one,” said Jorge Posada. “Our foundation was created to reach out to families and to build a network that provides support and educational resources,” added Laura Posada. “Participating in this campaign made clear sense.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Americans who drink and drive make the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve one of the most deadly and dangerous seasons due to alcohol-related crashes. “Everyone must work together to safe guard our families and communities,” said Merinoff.

Recently, The Charmer Sunbelt Group joined The Federal Trade Commission, The Century Council, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America and the nation’s leading distillers in the national “We Don’t Serve Teens” campaign to prevent underage drinking. According to the FTC, most teens that drink get alcohol from “social sources” at parties, from older friends, from their parents’ cabinet. Teen drinking is linked to injury and risky behavior. In 2006, 65 percent of eighth graders report that alcohol is “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get. http://www.dontserveteens.gov/

Nationally, The Charmer Sunbelt Group has been recognized by community organizations, as well as colleagues in the beverage alcohol industry, for creating and initiating educational projects that support the communities in which its companies operate, keeps roads safe and educates children about making safe and smart choices.

The Charmer Sunbelt Group

The Charmer Sunbelt Group (CSG) is one of the nation's leading distributors of fine wines, spirits, beers, bottled water and other non-alcoholic products. CSG is a group of affiliated companies operating in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and The District of Columbia, markets which collectively account for nearly half of total US spirit and wine consumption. Together, these companies employ more than 7,000 associates and distribute more than 60 million cases per year. For more information about CSG, please visit www.charmer-sunbelt.com.