BENTONVILLE, Ark., August 30, 2007 – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced today that it is donating $550,000 to assist with recovery efforts following the devastating floods in the Midwest. The company has also committed to provide $50,000 in merchandise to the support relief efforts. The contributions from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club enable The Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and America’s Second Harvest to assist those most affected by the flooding in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
"Wal-Mart’s financial support of The Salvation Army’s ongoing disaster response across the Midwest is a God-send," said Major Todd Hawks, national public affairs secretary for The Salvation Army. "We are helping tens of thousands of people with immediate needs in eight states and we couldn’t do it without the help of long-term partners like Wal-Mart."
The Salvation Army and the Red Cross have been providing shelter, clothing, food, counseling and other assistance to flood victims in the region. Wal-Mart’s donation of $375,000 to the Red Cross and $150,000 to The Salvation Army will help these organizations continue with their relief efforts. In addition, Wal-Mart will donate $25,000 to America’s Second Harvest to support their efforts in providing food for shelters and food banks in the affected areas. In Midwest City, Oklahoma and Richland Hills, Texas, Wal-Mart has also provided the use of available facilities to the Red Cross to serve as response headquarters and warehouse space.
“We are extremely grateful for Wal-Mart’s generous donation to the American Red Cross in response to the Midwest floods,” said Kathleen Loehr, Interim Senior Vice President of Development for the American Red Cross. “Wal-Mart has consistently been a leader during times of disaster and has played a critical role in enabling the Red Cross to provide life-saving services to thousands of people during their greatest times of need.”
“Wal-Mart has a long-standing history of supporting our communities in times of disaster. Given the widespread devastation caused by flooding in the Midwest that has affected our communities, associates and customers, we felt that it was important to make a significant contribution to relief efforts,” said Ray Bracy, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at
www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to local communities in the United States. To learn more, visit
www.walmartfacts.com,
www.walmartstores.com, or
www.walmartfoundation.org.