Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Constellation Brands donates to civil rights groups after Charlottesville violence

Constellation Brands is a Fortune 500 Company based in Victor, NY.
Constellation Brands
Constellation Brands is a Fortune 500 Company based in Victor, NY.

Victor-based Constellation Brands has sent a letter to its employees talking about the impact of the recent violence at a rally that involved white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The letter from CEO Rob Sands is entitled, “Our Moral Responsibility,” and it says that the events in Charlottesville weigh heavily on the minds and hearts of the company’s executive team.

The memo from Sands says that, “events like those in Charlottesville serve as a hindrance to our continued progress and cannot be tolerated.”

Sands says his grandparents came to the U.S. from Russia years ago to fight oppression and make a better life for themselves and he says Constellation has a responsibility to speak out and take action when injustice occurs.

As a result, Sands says that Constellation Brands will contribute $250,000 to the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center. In addition, the Sands family will match the company by contributing an additional $250,000.

Also, the members of the company’s executive management committee will each make a personal contribution in support of those organizations’ efforts.  Sands says the company will also reach out to its business partners to encourage them to join in this effort.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.