Corporations step in to help with donations of cash, goods, services

Friday, Sept. 14, 2001 | 10:21 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

Terrorist attacks in New York and Washington have prompted major corporations, small businesses, religious and sports groups to honor the victims and to donate millions to aid victims' families and relief efforts.

Among the companies making donations was General Electric Co., which on Wednesday pledged $10 million for the families of New York firefighters, police officers and rescue workers who died trying to help victims trapped Tuesday in the World Trade Center.

Computer networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. donated $6 million to the Red Cross and other relief groups. Wells Fargo & Co., the largest bank in Nevada, pledged $1 million to the Red Cross.

Besides contributing cash, goods and services, companies around the nation and the world took time outs in recent days so workers could honor the victims with ceremonies and moments of silence.

Sprint Corp., the No. 1 local phone company in Las Vegas, said it was donating $500,000 to the American Red Cross and providing 2,300 wireless phones for disaster workers. The company also said that its stores in New York were providing free emergency calling and its pay phones in the city were being programmed to allow free outgoing calls.

"As the nation recovers, it is important for all of us to support the brave rescue workers, and we hope these contributions will allow them to do their important jobs better and faster," said Sprint Chairman and CEO William T. Esrey.

H.J. Heinz and the H.J. Heinz Foundation are giving $100,000 to a relief fund created by the United Way and The New York Community Trust. Heinz also said it is sending food to distribute to rescue workers.

Starting Friday, Massachusetts' grocery chain Stop and Shop Co. said it will match contributions from customers and associates. Gladstone's 4 Fish restaurant in Malibu, Calif., has pledged all of Sunday's proceeds to relief efforts.

"We will not make a cent on that day," said Christine Lloyd, restaurant marketing director.

Other groups, such as the New Haven-based Knights of Columbus, said they'll donate $1 million for the families of victims lost during rescue efforts at both the Pentagon and Trade Center towers.

No. 1 software maker Microsoft Corp. is donating $5 million in cash and $5 million in technical support to rescue and relief efforts. The money will go to the newly created September 11 Fund, run in part by the United Way.

DaimlerChrysler, the No. 3 U.S. automaker, pledged $10 million to support the children of victims of the terrorist attacks.

Some companies coupled cash donations with supplies of signature products. Among them was drugmaker Novartis AG, which donated $3 million to the American Red Cross and offered its entire supply of Apligraf, a skin replacement used to treat burn victims.

McDonald's Corp., the biggest restaurant chain, said it's feeding search-and-rescue teams in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania and supplying blood-donation centers with cookies and juice. McDonald's and the Ronald McDonald House Charities each donated $1 million to relief efforts and earmarked charity canisters in its restaurants for the Red Cross.

Anheuser-Busch Cos., the world's largest brewer, donated $1 million and 9,500 cases of canned water to the Red Cross.

Besides Sprint, other telecommunications companies pitched in even as they struggled to accommodate a surge in volume after the terrorist attacks.

AT&T Corp., the biggest U.S. long-distance telephone company, said it will give $10 million in prepaid long-distance calling cards to relief workers, in addition to donating $1 million to the Red Cross and committing $300,000 to match employee donations.

Verizon Communications Inc., the biggest U.S. local-phone company, is offering free local calling from 4,000 payphones in Manhattan and removing charges for all GTE Airfone calls placed from aircraft from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday. The company also made 5,000 cellular phones available to emergency-response workers.

Products for victims and relief workers continue to pour into Washington and New York. PepsiCo Inc., the second-largest soft-drink maker, has delivered at least seven truckloads of food, soda, juice and water.

Among the other manufacturers donating food and beverages are Dr Pepper/Seven-Up Cos., a subsidiary of London-based Cadbury Schweppes Plc; Kraft Foods Inc., a unit of Philip Morris Cos.; Perdue Farms Inc. and Kellogg Co.

Procter & Gamble Co., the top U.S. maker of household products, is sending cleaning supplies, diapers, toothpaste and food.

Retailer Kmart Corp., the biggest discount chain after Wal-Mart Stores Inc., is providing relief crews with flashlights, batteries, blankets and food.

Walgreen, CVS Corp. and Rite Aid Corp., the nation's largest drugstore chains, also assisted in relief efforts. A CVS on Fulton Street, just blocks from the World Trade Center, was transformed Tuesday into a triage center and supply depot for relief workers. Rite Aid is working with Giuliani's office to offer assistance, company spokeswoman Sarah Datz said.

The Walgreen at Union Square, the company's only Manhattan store, helped local hospitals fill prescriptions for people who didn't have the means to pay. The company also made a $25,000 donation to the Red Cross and gave an additional $25,000 in supplies, spokesman Michael Polzin said.

Among oil companies, BP Plc, Chevron Corp., Texaco Inc. and Amerada Hess Corp. pledged a combined $20 million to help victims of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

London-based BP, which has offices in New York, is donating $5 million, the third-biggest oil company said in a statement. A relief fund for police, fire and emergency personnel and their families will get $2 million, and the American Red Cross will get $1 million. Another $2 million was donated to other aid organizations.

San Francisco-based Chevron, the second-biggest U.S. oil company, and White Plains, New York-based Texaco, the third-biggest, said they pledged $5 million each and will work with national, state and local officials to distribute the money.

New York-based Amerada Hess, an oil explorer and refiner, said it's giving $5 million to the families of New York firefighters, police officers and rescue workers injured or killed after the destruction of the World Trade Center, the company said in a statement.

BP also is donating 1 million gallons of fuel to the New York emergency services working on disaster relief. It has been offering free fuel in New York and Washington since Tuesday to rescue crews.

Tosco Corp., the Old Greenwich, Ct.-based refiner being bought by Phillips Petroleum Co., is working with a Manhattan gasoline station to provide free fuel to rescue crews, spokeswoman Julie Igo said.

On Tuesday, Tulsa, Okla.-based Williams Cos., an energy trader and pipeline company, said it would donate $1 million to the United Way for disaster relief.