Coca-Cola Gives Back to the City of New Orleans and Celebrates 15th Anniversary of Essence Music Festival

Company Gives Grants, 15th Anniversary Commemorative Bottles and Provides Recycling for Festival

        This year, in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the Festival, The
        Coca-Cola Foundation will make two donations of $15,000 each to two
        local nonprofit organizations to help continue the renewal of New
WHAT:   Orleans. The first gift supports the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
        Foundation's "Save our Lake," an effort to restore and preserve the
        Lake, which complements the Company's commitments to protect and
        preserve the environment.

        The second organization receiving a donation from Coca-Cola is Second
        Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, which became the
        largest food bank in world history after the devastating impact of
        hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The organization delivers more than 75
        million pounds of food annually to communities still in recovery from
        the hurricanes.

        The Company will also unveil a 15th Anniversary Essence/Coca-Cola
        Commemorative Bottle which will be given to Festival attendees.

WHO:    Ingrid Saunders Jones, senior vice president, Global Community
        Connections, The Coca-Cola Company

WHEN:   Friday, July 3, 2009

        9:00 - 11:00 a.m. CDT

WHERE:  Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (Hall B, Rooms 220-222), New
        Orleans, LA

        The Essence Music Festival is the nation's largest annual gathering of
        African-American musical talent; featuring an unprecedented three days
        of cultural celebrations and performances by some of today's greatest
        African-American artists.

    Source: The Coca-Cola Company

Released July 2, 2009