Lowe’s to Donate $500,000 to American Red Cross to Help Communities Affected by Hurricane Sandy
– Lowe’s matches Jimmie Johnson’s winnings, accepts Red Cross
donations at stores and Lowes.com –
– Lowe’s working with national nonprofit partners to distribute
remainder of $1 million pledge –
MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Lowe’s announced today it will donate $500,000 to support American Red
Cross relief efforts in response to Hurricane Sandy. As part of Lowe’s
$1 million commitment to assist hurricane victims, last week Lowe’s
pledged to match the earnings of five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie
Johnson from Sunday’s NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway. Johnson
earned $492,086 for winning the race. Lowe’s rounded up that amount to
donate $500,000 to the American Red Cross through the Lowe’s Racing for
Relief program.
Lowe's pledges donations in advance of disasters and also provides the support of Lowe's Heroes to help the American Red Cross respond immediately in local communities.
Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports together will donate an additional
$48,000 to the Red Cross. The Lowe’s and Team 48 donations will help
provide food, shelter, emotional support and other assistance to those
affected by Hurricane Sandy. In addition, Lowe’s stores throughout the
United States are accepting donations to the Red Cross at every
register. Donors also can contribute at Lowes.com.
“The Red Cross has been on the ground providing aid and comfort to
hundreds of thousands of people since Sandy’s arrival last week,” said
Joan Higginbotham, Lowe’s director of community relations. “As a
longstanding partner, we’re grateful for their leadership and will
continue to support their efforts to get help quickly to those in need.”
Lowe’s will use the remaining $500,000 from its $1 million commitment to
provide both immediate and long-term support to local communities across
the Northeast. Lowe’s will fund projects in areas with the greatest need
as identified by its national nonprofit partners.
As a member of the Red Cross’ Annual Disaster Giving Program, Lowe’s
pledges donations on an ongoing basis in advance of disasters to help
ensure the Red Cross can take immediate action. Lowe’s partners with
Team 48 to provide additional support through the Lowe’s Racing for
Relief program. With today’s $500,000 donation, Lowe’s Racing for Relief
has raised more than $1.25 million to help the Red Cross assist
communities in need. Since the beginning of its Hurricane Sandy
operations, the Red Cross has served more than 1 million meals and
provided more than 92,000 overnight shelter stays in New York, New
Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, West Virginia and Ohio.
Individuals can team with Lowe’s and the American Red Cross to help
provide assistance by donating at their local Lowe’s store. Donations
also can be made at Lowe’s
American Red Cross Online Donation Site, or by texting REDCROSS to
90999 or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Since partnering with
the Red Cross in 1999, Lowe’s and its customers have contributed nearly
$24 million for disaster relief.
In addition to Racing for Relief and Lowe’s customer donation program, Lowe’s
Heroes employee volunteers will continue to assist hurricane victims
by delivering critically needed relief supplies and support to local
communities and by partnering with The
First Response Team of America. Lowe’s also has teamed with Procter
& Gamble to host the Tide® Loads of Hope and Duracell®
Power Forward trucks to provide free laundry services, batteries and
charging stations for local families affected by the disaster.
ABOUT LOWE’S:
Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on
K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company’s
signature education grant program, Lowe’s
Toolbox for Education®, has donated nearly $5 million in
grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006. Lowe’s
Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our
national nonprofit partners such as Habitat
for Humanity and the American
Red Cross. In 2011, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s
Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than
$32 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and
Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.
ABOUT AMERICAN RED CROSS:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to
victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood;
teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid;
and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a
not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the
generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more
information, please visit redcross.org
or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
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Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
Julie Yenichek, 704-758-4364
[email protected]
or
Steve
Salazar, 704-758-4345
[email protected]
Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.