FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Cigar seller Altadis USA Inc. and the Montecristo Relief Organization said that the combined goal of raising $1 million for the American Red Cross to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina has been surpassed.
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Altadis USA pledged up to $500,000 to the Red Cross, of which $100,000 was given immediately. In addition, the company offered to match up to $200,000 in donations from its employees, consumers, retailers, distributors and vendors. This figure was, in fact, exceeded. To date, these [image-nocss] donations together with the matching funds have surpassed $418,000, bringing Altadis USA's total pledge to more than $518,000.
Along with these funds, the Montecristo Relief Organization pledged an additional $500,000, for combined donations of more than $1,018,000.
The Montecristo Relief Organization was initially established by Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Altadis USA in 1998 to aid Caribbean hurricane victims. It is funded through donations and the proceeds of an annual Pro-Am golf tournament with golfers from the Champions Tour held in Puerto Rico each December.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.