Dollar General among retailers, suppliers providing earthquake relief to Haiti

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. A host of retailers, including Walgreens, Dollar General and CVS Caremark, have made donations to help victims recover from the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, in line with other retailers and suppliers throughout the United States.

“Dollar General is dedicated to helping our friends in Haiti recover from this disaster,” stated Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO. “We are committed to our mission of serving others, in good times and in bad. We are heartened by the bravery and resiliency of the people of Haiti.”

The funds are part of relief efforts caused by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Port-au-Price Tuesday. Other such retailers include:

• Dollar General, which operates more than 8,700 stores in 35 states, has announced a $100,000 donation, and also will include employee donations.
• Walmart Foundation announced it would donate $500,000.
• Target announced a $500,000 donation plus one million meals to victims of the earthquake.
• Publix developed the Haiti Relief & Development Fund, channeled through the American Red Cross.
• Wegmans has donated $100,000 through its charitable arm and is accepting customer donations at checkout to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
• Winn-Dixie carried out 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' program for earthquake relief efforts

Also included in the relief efforts are such drug stores as:

• Walgreens announced a donation of $100,000, plus an employee donation of up to $50,000.
• CVS said its CVS Caremark Charitable Trust announced that it is donating $175,000 to humanitarian organizations involved in the earthquake relief effort in Haiti. The Trust is donating $125,000 to the American Red Cross, $25,000 to Partners in Health, based in Boston, and $25,000 to Operation Helping Hands, based in Miami.
• Rite Aid has donated $50,000 and has asked its customers to participate in a donation program $1 relief certificates.
• Duane Reade has partnered with MoneyGram International to enable Duane Reade customers to wire funds to Haiti free of charge.
• Shoppers Drug Mart is providing over $100,000 to the relief efforts in Haiti through a combined donation of product and financial support.

In related news, suppliers also have participated in providing aid to victims of the natural disaster, including:

• Kellogg, which announced a $250,000 donation to the American Red Cross to assist with earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
• Unilever will donate $500,000 through its partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme.
• Biotechnology company Amgen said it will donate $2 million to the Haiti relief efforts.
• King Pharmaceuticals has donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross for its Haiti earthquake relief efforts
• The PepsiCo Foundation said it will donate $1 million to the earthquake victims and that the food and beverage company PepsiCo will provide Quaker products as well as bottled water and Gatorade for the disaster victims through its bottlers in Florida and the Dominican Republic.
• The Coca-Cola Foundation has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to assist with emergency relief efforts.  In addition, the company's bottling partner in the Dominican Republic is providing on-the-ground relief with water and other Coca-Cola beverages.
• General Mills Foundation said it would contribute $250,000 to support the disaster relief and rebuilding efforts.
• AstraZeneca, according to reports, said it is making a donation of 100,000 pounds to the British Red Cross Emergency Appeal.
• Nestle Waters North America pledged to donate $1 million in bottled water products to support disaster relief efforts.
• Abbott and its philanthropic foundation the Abbott Fund have committed to provide $1 million in initial humanitarian aid. This support includes grant funding and donations of critical pharmaceutical and nutritional products to strengthen the ability of humanitarian aid organizations to respond to immediate health needs and an initial quantity of pharmaceutical and nutritional products that are already in use in a hospital in Haiti.
• Pharmavite, the maker of NatureMade vitamins, has immediately committed approximately $500,000 in financial support and product supplies through multiple support groups. Additionally, the company made a financial donation of $75,000 via the American Red Cross to the ongoing response to the earthquakes in Haiti. In addition, the company allocated approximately 300,000 SOYJOY bars which are shelf stable and allow for convenient distribution.
• Mars will donate $475,000, including $345,000  to the Red Cross. Another $120,000 will be given to the Search Dog Foundation, an organization sending special dog teams to Haiti to find and rescue people, and $10,000 will be donated to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Mars also is donating pet food product and supplies.

• Procter & Gamble is sending water-purifying packets and cash donations. According to reports, the company said it also will donate products when relief agencies are ready to accept shipments.