The Jack Daniel Distillery launched its “Operation Ride Home” campaign to assist soldiers and their families in traveling home for the holidays. The distillery joined forces with the Armed Services YMCA of Fort Campbell to work with military officials at the installation to identify soldiers and families with particular needs and financial assistance for travel from the base to their homes throughout the United States this holiday season.

Yao Ming, retired NBA player, owner of the Shanghai Sharks and humanitarian, established his own Napa Valley wine company: Yao Family Wines. The company released its inaugural wine, a 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, under the Yao Ming brand name in mainland China. Yao Family Wines has appointed Pernod Ricard China as the sole and exclusive importer and distributor of the brand in mainland China.

The system of The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, has committed more than U.S. $2 million to “Reunite to Relieve and Rebuild Thailand,” a sustainable flood relief initiative designed to provide emergency relief and rebuilding  efforts to help victims of the floods in Thailand.

Anheuser-Busch (AB), St. Louis, and its wholesalers in the state donated $45,000 to help employees of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the wildfires in the state. More than 34,000 acres and 1,500 homes were consumed by the fires, including 98 percent of Bastrop State Park and 22 homes of Texas Park and Wildlife employees. Many more parks employees sustained significant damage to their properties.

Innova Market Insights, Duiven, the Netherlands, has identified 10 key trends that will impact the food and beverage market through 2012 and beyond, it says.

Since 1997, communities across the country have marked America Recycles Day on Nov. 15. The American Beverage Association, Washington, D.C., used the occasion to reinforce that the beverage industry is committed to further minimizing its environmental footprint by reducing, reusing and recycling. The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Va., also noted its support of the day and reminded consumers to recycle all the aluminum they use in their everyday lives.

Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. made its second $500,000 donation from its Dream Machine recycling initiative to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) with Disabilities, a national program offering career training, education and job creation for post-9/11 U.S. veterans with disabilities. PepsiCo presented the check during a ceremony following the first quarter of the Veterans Day football game at Syracuse University, which is home to the Whitman School of Management and Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) that operates the EBV program.

Coca-Cola India announced a USD $2 billion investment in the country’s system beginning in 2010 for the next five years. The investment is designed to further capture the opportunity in the non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverage market in the country.

Starbucks Coffee Co., Seattle, announced the acquisition of Evolution Fresh Inc., San Bernardino, Calif. The $30 million acquisition is part of the coffee company’s commitment to evolve and enhance the customer experience with innovative and wholesome products, the company says. It announced plans to reinvent the $1.6 billion super-premium juice segment and said the acquisition is a significant step in entering the more than $50 billion health and wellness sector.

Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo brand Mountain Dew announced a sweepstakes to reward fans with an ultimate mega-gaming experience: the chance to play “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” with three friends on a mega-sized stadium screen. Also, as part of the video game promotion, Mountain Dew is expanding its Mtn Dew Game Fuel line with a new Tropical flavor to join the variety.