Anheuser-Busch Baldwinsville Brewery Sponsors TIPs Training for Oktoberfest Volunteer Servers

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 23, 2010) - The Anheuser-Busch Baldwinsville brewery partnered with the village of Baldwinsville for the 23rd annual Oktoberfest to ensure the local celebration was one of the safest.

"Our entire team looks forward to the Oktoberfest every year," said General Manager Steve McCormick. "It's a fun event and we want to make sure we keep it safe."

Prior to the annual end-of-summer festival, certified trainers from the local wholesaler T.J. Sheehan Distributing provided Training for Intervention ProcedureS (TIPs) for all volunteers who would serve alcohol beverages at the event.

TIPs is designed to help servers do two things: quickly and accurately prevent sales to anyone who may have consumed too much alcohol; and prevent sales to anyone who is underage. More than 30 volunteers were trained at the Baldwinsville brewery in preparation of Oktoberfest.

"While we await the final numbers, it is safe to assume that records were set in attendance and funds raised," said Joe Saraceni, Mayor of the Village of Baldwinsville. "There were no incidents related to the event and we incorporated a few new attractions including a 5K run, big screen TVs in the serving area and an enhanced family tent. We have a lot to be proud of."

For nearly three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers nationwide, including T.J. Sheehan, have invested three quarters of a billion dollars in alcohol awareness and education efforts to promote personal responsibility and help fight underage drinking and drunk driving. Various programs and campaigns are implemented throughout the year, particularly during key times such as prom/graduation, back-to-school and the holidays.