US Companies Aid Chinese Earthquake Victims |
WASHINGTON, May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The US-China Business Council (USCBC) today encouraged American companies to continue to support relief efforts under way in China in response to the devastating earthquake that hit Sichuan Province on May 12. USCBC member companies have already pledged several million dollars in cash and in-kind goods and services for aid to earthquake victims and many have established matching funds for their employees. "The US-China Business Council (USCBC) has expressed the concerns and support of the US business community to both to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and the PRC Embassy in Washington, DC," reported USCBC President John Frisbie. "We will continue to advise companies on how to best support the relief effort under way." The following is a sample list of initial donations by USCBC member companies. Companies continue to pledge new contributions and expand existing ones as events unfold. Updates to this list will be posted at http://uschina.org/public/china/2008/earthquake_relief.html. American International Group has made an initial pledge of $1 million to provide immediate recovery assistance through several different organizations. Amway made an initial commitment of RMB 2 million ($286,000) to the Sichuan Red Cross through its Amway China affiliate to aid in recovery efforts. Half of the donations will be for the Red Cross to use for immediate disaster relief. The other half is designated for the reconstruction of a primary school that collapsed in Chengdu City and killed 50 students. Amway China staff and its top sales representatives in that province will also gather Amway volunteers to donate blood in the coming days. Anheuser-Busch is donating RMB 3.5 million ($500,000) to the Red Cross Society of China to aid relief efforts for earthquake victims. The company also will provide more than RMB 7.7 million ($1.1 million) or 425,000 cases of fresh drinking water to the area. Applied Materials Applied Materials, through Applied Materials China, will be making a contribution of RMB 1 million ($143,000) to the Red Cross Society of China on behalf of the company and its employees. Bechtel is setting up a matching contribution fund for employee disaster relief contributions. The Boeing Company has made an initial contribution of $250,000 to relief efforts and will match employee donations to the American Red Cross for disaster assistance on a 1:1 basis. Cargill along with its businesses and employees have to date provided approximately RMB 3.3 million (more than $450,000) to several Red Cross societies; the company will match global employee donations to these societies. In addition, Cargill businesses and employees in China are supporting long-time partner China Children and Teenagers' Fund for school-rebuilding efforts as part of a longer-term recovery effort in their communities. Caterpillar The Cat Foundation has made an initial gift of $50,000 to the American Red Cross to be used for disaster relief efforts in China and will also match cash contributions from Cat employees, retirees, and Cat dealer employees to the American Red Cross up to an additional $50,000. If the match is fully realized by its June 13 deadline, the total gift to earthquake relief in China will be $150,000. In addition, Caterpillar together with its dealers have initially deployed equipment valued at approximately $2.85 million, including machines and generator sets to be used in the recovery efforts, as well as a team of skilled equipment operators. Caterpillar and Cat dealers in China are poised to mobilize even more equipment if needed. Chindex, a health care company with operations in China's southwest, is making in-kind donations directly in response to and delivered directly to those delivering care. Among their donations, the company has made a large delivery of antibiotics to Huaxi Women's Hospital, which is sending the drugs with its medical team to the epicenter. Chindex has also sent icepacks, bandages, rehydration salts, and hand disinfectants on a Red Cross charter plane with volunteers headed to Sichuan. Chrysler has contributed to relief efforts and is matching employee contributions. In addition, the US-based Chrysler Asia Network is raising funds that will be used for disaster assistance. Citi Citi China will contribute over $500,000 through the Red Cross Society of China. In addition, employee donations will be made for recovery efforts. The Coca-Cola Company has already sent 10,000 cases of water for earthquake relief and has pledged a donation of RMB 5 million ($715,000) of cash and in-kind assistance. The Dow Chemical Company has donated RMB 2 million ($286,000) to the Red Cross Society of China as the initial effort in the relief of the earthquake and is carefully monitoring the situation to assess need for further assistance. In parallel with the company donation, Dow Greater China has also established an employee matching gift program. Donations made by employees in China will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the company. ExxonMobil has contributed $50,000 dollars to date for relief efforts. Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company has announced an initial donation of RMB 5 million (over $700,000) in cash and vehicles together with its joint venture partners and investment companies in China. Ford Transit vehicles, including ambulances, will play a pivotal role in supporting relief efforts for the victims of the China Wenchuan earthquake. Ford has also encouraged its employees to make personal donations to the GlobalGiving project, which Ford Motor Company Fund will match up to RMB 500,000 ($72,000). General Electric and the GE Foundation are providing immediate funds of RMB 10 million ($1.4 million) to the Red Cross Society of China and over half a million dollars of equipment and services to enable ongoing emergency relief efforts. General Motors General Motors Corp. and its Shanghai GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling joint ventures in China have made an initial donation of RMB 6 million ($860,000) to southwest China's Sichuan Province to support rescue and reconstruction efforts following a massive earthquake on May 12. GM has also set up an employee donation program to assist earthquake victims. The company will match the donations of its employees around the world. The Home Depot and The Home Depot China has initially committed $100,000 to the China Charity Foundation and 1,000 tents and other supplies for earthquake survivors. Home Depot Stores in China are donating 10 percent of sales from designated brands and are collecting contributions directly from customers to be sent to Chinese relief agencies. Johnson & Johnson is committing significant cash contributions to immediate relief and long-term rebuilding efforts, and is supporting employee donations through matching gifts. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson affiliate companies in China have announced a commitment of RMB 10 million ($1.4 million) to the Red Cross Society of China, and have donated many of the companies' consumer health care products and medical supplies. Microsoft is making an initial donation of RMB 1 million ($143,000) to the Red Cross Society of China. Our China subsidiary is reaching out to local response organizations to identify areas where our technology and other support can help. Through our partnership with NetHope, the largest relief organizations are using technology to prioritize relief efforts and match available resources. We will make use of our corporate and local Chinese home pages for Microsoft.com and MSN.com--visited by millions per day--to connect the general public with how they can donate to over 40 organizations that are providing assistance on the ground. Microsoft will match contributions from our Chinese and US-based employees. Where possible, we are proactively reaching out to our small, medium and enterprise customers in the impacted area to offer technical support, free of charge, if assistance is needed to get their technology solutions up and running again. Motorola has made donations to date of approximately $600,000 worth of cash, emergency communications equipment, mobile phones, and network services to Sichuan Province, including a cash donation to the Red Cross Society of China; Motorola Employee Service Committee (ESC) has also requested donations from employees. The company also is providing field support for the checking and recovery of base station and communications systems. Pepsico has donated RMB 1 million ($143,000) to the Red Cross Society of China on May 13 and is providing product donations (food and beverages) to those in need. In the US, our foundation has established a website to allow for all of our employees to make direct contributions to the Red Cross. Each donation will be matched by the foundation. The Procter & Gamble Company P&G Greater China has pledged RMB 1 million ($143,000) to the China Red Cross to help with relief work. The organization will also establish a local voluntary employee donation program to show that the hearts and minds of the 7,000 Greater China P&Gers are with those in need at this difficult time. Qualcomm has donated $500,000 to the Red Cross Society of China to support relief and recovery efforts. Tyco Electronics has made an RMB 1 million ($143,000) cash contribution to the Red Cross Society of China to assist with overall emergency efforts. The company is creating an internal Tyco Electronics (TE) China Earthquake Relief Fund to which employees worldwide will be able to contribute to directly aid affected employees and their families in China. US-based employees are making contributions to the American Red Cross that are earmarked for the China Relief Effort -- the company will match these contributions dollar-for-dollar. Tyco Electronics' business units in China are working with Chinese authorities to determine what TE products and services can be donated to help with the overall relief effort. So far, the company's Network Solutions business segment in China has committed RMB 600,000 ($86,000) worth of products and services to help rebuild critical telecommunications and energy networks. The company expects to make additional contributions of products and services as the situation unfolds in China and specific needs are identified. Underwriters Laboratories will be launching a contribution program to match employee donations for disaster relief in China. UPS is contributing a total of $1 million in cash and in-kind support to the earthquake relief efforts in China. Through its charitable arm, The UPS Foundation, UPS is making a cash donation of $500,000 to the American Red Cross in support of its earthquake response efforts on the ground in China, in conjunction with The Red Cross Society of China. UPS has also pledged an additional $500,000 for in-kind support to aid the transportation of relief supplies. Wal-Mart Stores Wal-Mart has contributed more than RMB 3 million ($430,000) in relief to China in response to the recent earthquake. A portion of the RMB 3 million contribution will be given to the China Red Cross for disaster relief. In addition, assistance will be provided to help reconstruct the devastated communities. Wal-Mart has more than 15 stores in the area struck by the earthquakes and has been providing essential supplies and assistance to our associates, customers, and neighbors in the impacted areas--donating water and other emergency related products such as food, batteries, and clothing, valued in the hundreds of thousands of RMB. Watson Wyatt has launched a dollar-for-dollar matching donation program in its Hong Kong office, which will be contributed to the Hong Kong Red Cross for Sichuan earthquake rescue and relief efforts. The firm's Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen offices have also made contributions for earthquake relief. The US-China Business Council (USCBC, http://www.uschina.org) is the leading organization of US companies engaged in business with the People's Republic of China. Founded in 1973, the USCBC provides extensive China-focused information, advisory and advocacy services, and events, to roughly 250 US corporations operating within the United States and throughout Asia.
SOURCE US-China Business Council