Delaware North’s third annual “Bee the Difference” campaign, held from April 1 to May 20, raised more than $24,000 for The Bee Cause Project, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustainability and environmental education.
Launched in celebration of Earth Month and World Bee Day, the campaign featured the Bee’s Harvest Margarita, a limited-time cocktail made with PATRÓN tequila. A total of 31,025 margaritas were sold across 137 participating Delaware North locations — a 38% increase over 2024 sales.
This year’s donation will help The Bee Cause Project:
- Connect over 5,000 students with immersive environmental education.
- Train and support 20 educators with environmental literacy, conservation and sustainability resources.
- Provide 10 schools or nonprofit organizations with comprehensive Educational Pollinator Grants to develop pollinator-friendly habitats, youth education and more.
Notably, 80-85% of grant recipients remain active in The Bee Cause Network, continuing to use educational resources and participate in community events long after they receive the initial grant.
“This initiative continues to grow in impact and engagement each year,” said Lindsay Truesdell, director of partnership marketing. “It’s a testament to our team members’ dedication and our guests’ enthusiasm for supporting sustainability.”
Above: Delaware North Travel operations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport got creative with promoting the Bee’s Harvest Margarita, a limited-time cocktail for a cause. Pictured at left (from left to right) are Marie Singleton, assistant general manager (AGM), who dressed up in a bee costume, posing with General Manager Juan Velez and AGM Shonda Gotay. At right (from left to right) are Singleton; Brandon Ferrell, bartender; Lawrence Forbes, bartender; and Gotay.
The campaign also featured an enhanced augmented reality experience, which drew over 14,500 interactions and provided a glimpse into how agave plants are used to make tequila. Marketing efforts generated more than 145 million media impressions and an estimated $2.7 million in calculated advertising value.
Travel was the top-selling subsidiary for the campaign in 2025, with 11,729 Bee’s Harvest Margaritas sold, followed closely by Sportservice with 11,714. Top-performing locations included UBS Arena in Belmont, N.Y., Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis, Ark., Boston Logan International Airport, Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs in Florida and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks in California.
Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack in West Virginia was the most improved location year-over-year in terms of sales.
Since its inception, “Bee the Difference” has raised more than $65,000 to support pollinator protection and education.