CHICAGO, IL, Apr. 1, 2011 -- More than $50,000 in grants have been awarded to various watershed protection organizations by MillerCoors and national non-profit River Network.

Grant winners were chosen by the public through an online voting competition in which more than 20,000 people cast votes for one of six local non-profits over a one-month voting period.

North Carolina Big Sweep of Zebulon, North Carolina, received the most votes, with more than 5,000, and will be awarded the largest grant of $30,000. Big Sweep will allocate the funds towards a statewide cleanup effort and also to implement a litter awareness campaign to help improve water quality in all 100 counties in North Carolina.

Drawing the second most votes, Johnson Creek Watershed Council of Milwaukie, Oregon, will receive $10,000 and the third place vote-recipient, River Revitalization Foundation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will receive $5,000. The three remaining finalists will each receive $3,000.

The third annual competition is part of MillerCoors total donation of $80,000 to River Network.

"As a company that relies on clean, quality water to brew our beers, protecting our local watersheds is a top priority for MillerCoors," said Kim Marotta, vice president of corporate social responsibility at MillerCoors. "We're proud to provide grants to organizations across the country whose mission aligns with our beliefs and our responsibilities."

"To achieve a healthy water future, local organizations must have the capacity to protect and restore our rivers and watersheds," said Todd Ambs, River Network President. "Thanks to the support and leadership from MillerCoors, thousands of people around the country are actively engaged with projects that will have long-term benefits for water resources in their community and state."

MillerCoors and River Network will continue to work with the winning organizations throughout the year to execute the projects.

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