Lowe’s to Donate $500,000 to American Red Cross to Help Communities Affected by Hurricane Sandy

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.

“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.”

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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