23rd Annual SAG Awards® Corporate Partners Step Up to Support the SAG-AFTRA Foundation

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 03, 2017) – United Airlines, Time Inc.’s People and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Champagne Taittinger, Subaru, L'Oréal Paris, FIJI Water and DOVE® Chocolate are among the dedicated corporate partners joining with the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® in support of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, SAG Awards Committee Chair and SAG-AFTRA Foundation President JoBeth Williams announced today.

The 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2016 at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT).

“The SAG-AFTRA Foundation has been the patron of artists for more than 30 years, and it would not have been possible without the annual support of the SAG Awards and our generous and committed corporate partners,” Williams said.  “Our corporate partners understand the power of storytelling and how it informs and shapes our culture, and they believe it is critical to support the artists who do the work to perform, share and convey these stories. Our partners value the artists we serve and the children’s literacy programs we produce. We could not be more appreciative or heartened by these partnerships, and as always, we look forward to continuing and building upon them.”

These corporate partners contribute in two valuable ways. They have made financial donations to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and many of them opt to enhance the SAG Awards and the Post-Awards Gala with gifts in kind.

The SAG Awards is proud of how many of its partners return year after year. United Airlines, for example, has been the official airline of the SAG Awards from the very beginning of the televised event in 1995. Its sponsorship is an example of United’s commitment to inspiring creativity, engaging local communities to make a difference, and connecting people in more than just a literal way.

This is the 21st year in a row that Time Inc.’s Peopleand the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) are the hosts of the official Post-Awards Gala, honoring the charitable efforts of actors in their communities and making an annual donation to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, maintaining a tradition that began in 1997. This philanthropic practice also helped make possible the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Actors Center in New York, where the Voiceover Lab bears the name of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

The famous SAG Awards red carpet will officially open with a toast of Champagne Taittinger, as it has every year since 2001. The distinguished vintners also complement the Gala with bottles of elegant bubbly, specially chosen from their famous caves. Champagne Taittinger has expanded its long-standing support for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation by sponsoring a new initiative this year. As actors enter the SAG Awards showroom they will be asked to sign a Methuselah bottle of Champagne Taittinger. For every signature Taittinger will contribute additional funds for the Foundation’s critical Emergency Assistance program, which supports actors and their families in times of urgent need.

Subaruhas been a partner and on-air sponsor since 2004. This year, the all-new 2017 Subaru Impreza® will mark the entrance to the red carpet, accompanied by signage announcing Subaru of America, Inc.’s proud support of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

L’Oreal Paris is another long-standing sponsor. Since 2007, L’Oréal Paris has been part of the SAG Awards, the official Post-Awards Gala and the televised experience. Through this sponsorship, L’Oréal Paris continues to empower every woman who aspires to experience the glamour of the red carpet. On a more immediate level, the brand’s experts are on hand during the evening to assist attendees and guests with any desired touch-ups.

FIJI Water, the number one premium bottled water in the United States, returns for the sixth year as the official water of the SAG Awards and Post-Show Gala. FIJI® Water is natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu, in the archipelago islands of Fiji. Known for its iconic square bottle, soft mouth feel and unique mineral profile, FIJI Water is the water of choice among discerning consumers and top chefs. Widely available at fine restaurants and hotels, all major retail channels and through a convenient home/business delivery service, FIJI Water has expanded globally to more than 60 countries.

DOVE® Chocolate joins this distinguished group for the first time this year. As part of its partnership, the brand will provide its signature silky smooth DOVE® Chocolate PROMISES® throughout the 23rd SAG Awards. DOVE® Chocolate oversees every single step in the bean to bar chocolate-making process — from responsibly sourcing and selecting the best cocoa beans to carefully roasting the beans using techniques rooted in European heritage. DOVE® has partnered with CARE®, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, to empower female farmers in Cote d’Ivoire and to improve their voice in financial decisions.

SAG-AFTRA members contribute time, talent and funding toward the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s endeavors as part of their work with charitable causes. By choosing to sponsor the SAG Awards, these partners prove they understand how important the ceremony on TNT or TBS is to their companies' values, and that they realize the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s initiatives make important contributions to performers, their families, and to society at large.

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