Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control Supports Deployed Military Personnel on Veterans Day Through the ‘Gift That Gives Back’ Program

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 7, 2018

The Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control (DLC) and its partners, Crown Royal and Breakthru Beverage Group, will be sending 300 Crown Royal bags stuffed with snacks, toiletries and notes to active duty military men and women overseas as a Veterans Day tribute. With support from the nonprofit Packages from Home organization, the care packages will be shipped abroad. The items for the bags were donated by Breakthru Beverage following a fall DLC campaign to collect Crown Royal bags returned to DLC stores.

The Packages from Home program originated in 2004 by a military mother who sent care packages to her son, who was deployed in Iraq. She then decided to help other deployed troops and turned to friends and neighbors for additional support. Eventually, the program was able to send care packages to multiple military units. Crown Royal became involved, creating its “Gift That Gives Back” program, to support the mission by donating $1 for every Crown Royal bag collected.

Montgomery County DLC customers have returned more than 500 bags to 25 DLC stores since September. DLC employees will gather at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, at the DLC offices at 201 Edison Park Drive in Gaithersburg to stuff 300 Crown Royal bags and prepare them for mailing.

This year’s program was more successful than anticipated in collecting bags. The extra bags collected will be used toward next year’s program. There are currently 230,000 military deployed overseas. Packages from Home reports that more than 80 percent of the thank you letters it receives from deployed troops discuss loneliness as being one of the most difficult parts of deployed life. Care packages from home are much appreciated.

“This is a great way to celebrate Veterans Day. We are honored to be able to support our troops abroad,” said Robert Dorfman, director of the DLC. “This program supports the core values of our department and our amazing employees who are very enthusiastic to play a part in giving back.”

This is the first year Montgomery County’s DLC participated in the program and the department intends to make it an annual event. Crown Royal bag collections will continue though the month of November, with additional bags collected going toward next year’s campaign.

For more information about the Montgomery County DLC, visit its website at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dlc/. 

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Release ID: 18-738
Media Contact: Emily DeTitta 240-777-1904, Neil Greenberger 240-777-6532