UPDATE:
- BP. In response to the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, Chicago-based BP has donated $500,000 and emergency supplies to the Oklahoma Red Cross to support humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts. BP America Inc. will donate $300,000 and the BP Foundation will donate an additional $200,000. The funds will assist local Red Cross efforts to provide emergency meals, shelter, clothing, water and medical care in the affected areas. The donation is in addition to those made by the BP Foundation Employee Matching Program. BP employees in eastern Oklahoma also delivered a trailer of nonperishable relief items to a collection center near Moore for use by the Red Cross.
- Krispy Krunchy Foods. Volunteers from Krispy Krunchy Foods, Lafayette, La., are preparing and delivering 10,000 Krispy Krunchy Chicken meals to the residents, emergency responders and volunteers in Moore, Okla. Company representatives, including former Moore resident Jordan Lindsey, converged on the region from six markets and four states: Dallas and Houston; Shreveport and Alexandria, La.; Louisville, Ky.; and Chicago. The relief effort will continue for three days or until the food supply is depleted. "It is a privilege to give back in a meaningful way to people who are in need. The Krispy Krunchy staff working here in Moore has been nothing short of remarkable in preparing and serving these meals," coordinator Richard Williams, the Krispy Krunchy Foods national marketing partner from Dallas, said. "After having experienced so many disasters in south Louisiana and along our Gulf Coast, it's great to be able to give back," said Krispy Krunchy founder and president Neal Onebane. "People from south Louisiana have a long history of generosity. When we faced our own disasters, others were there to assist us. I would like to thank Tyson Foods of Springdale, Arkansas, C. H. Guenther of San Antonio, Texas and Sysco Foods for their contributions."
MOORE, Okla. -- As it always does in times of tragedy, the convenience store and gas station industry and its suppliers came to the aid of Moore, Okla., following the recent tornado that swept through the community located south of Oklahoma City.
Major convenience store and petroleum industry relief efforts include:
- Casey's General Stores Inc. The Ankeny, Iowa-based retailer is accepting donations to the Red Cross at all locations across the Midwest to help Moore, Okla. "We are so touched by the generosity of our partners at Casey's General Stores," said Leslie Schaffer, regional CEO of the American Red Cross. "Every dollar is needed, as thousands of people in Oklahoma are struggling to recover."
- Chevron Corp. Houston-based Chevron said that it has made a $500,000 contribution to the Red Cross for the relief efforts under way to assist Moore. In addition, the company will match donations made to the relief effort by its employees and retirees. "We want the people who have been affected by these devastating storms to know that they are in our hearts and prayers," said Alan Kleier, vice president of Chevron's Mid-Continent business unit. "As a business with ties to Oklahoma, we hope this donation eases the recovery process."
- Exxon Mobil Corp. The Irving, Texas-based oil company announced that it will donate $500,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to provide disaster relief assistance in response to the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma and the southwest United States. "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to all who have been impacted by the devastating tornadoes," said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and CEO. "It is our hope that our donation to the Red Cross will help in this very difficult time."
- Kum & Go LC. West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go is joining the Red Cross disaster relief effort in Oklahoma. The retailer is harnessing its network of more than 400 stores across 11 states to raise money for the tornado victims. Its in-store campaign gives its customers the option of adding $1 to each purchase they make at a Kum & Go store. Every dollar donated will go directly to the Red Cross for relief efforts. The campaign will run through May 31. "Our hearts and thoughts are with the people of Oklahoma. We are thankful for the opportunity to help and grateful to our Kum & Go customers for their generous participation," said Kyle J. Krause, Kum & Go president and CEO.
- Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. Based in Oklahoma City, Love's has donated $3 million to support the immediate and long-term relief efforts in the communities of Moore, Shawnee and surrounding areas. It has designated the first $1 million to the OK Strong Relief Fund that Governor Mary Fallin established to meet the long-term needs of victims in partnership with the United Way of Central Oklahoma, another $500,000 to Catholic Charities and the remaining $1.5 million to fund a benefit event to honor those affected by the storm and to raise additional relief funds. "Our company has been engrained in the fabric of Oklahoma since 1964. Our hearts are saddened by the news of this tragedy affecting so many of our friends and neighbors," said Tom Love, chairman and CEO. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and all those impacted by this horrific event."
- Maverik Inc. North Salt Lake City, Utah-based Maverik is encouraging customers who have an Adventure Club membership can donate their Trail Points to the Oklahoma Tornado Relief fund. For every 100 Trail Points, the retailer will donate $1. It will turn Trail Points into cash donations and distributed them to the Red Cross. They can also donated cash in stores.
- Phillips 66 Co. Houston-based Phillips 66, a heritage Oklahoma company with more than a century of operations in the state, said will contribute $1 million to the Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts. In addition, the company will match employee and retiree contributions for disaster relief. "Our company's roots run deep in Oklahoma, and our thoughts and heartfelt prayers go out to the people affected by this disaster," said Greg Garland, chairman and CEO of Phillips 66. "We are extremely thankful that all of our employees in Oklahoma and their immediate families are safe. We thank the first responders and medical personnel that came to the rescue of so many."
- Toot'n Totum Food Stores. The Amarillo, Texas-based retailer has opened a local Oklahoma Relief Fund with a $10,000 donation. It is providing area residents the opportunity to support the fund with monetary donations at any of its 71 stores from May 22 to May 31, directly benefiting the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes through the United Way of Central Oklahoma's disaster relief fund. It will dedicate fund dollars specifically to United Way partner agencies working on the tornado relief efforts for immediate, intermediate and long-term recovery needs. Greg Mitchell, president and CEO, said, "Living in the Panhandle, we all realize that this could have easily been our area. It is the responsibility of each of us to help our neighbors in times of need, and even though Oklahoma is a neighbor on a larger scale, the need doesn't change and our willingness to help shouldn't either. So many people in our area have a connection to Oklahoma, whether through family, friends, or school, and the devastation of this tragedy hits home for many on a very personal level."
- Valero Energy Corp. San Antonio-based Valero, through its Valero Energy Foundation, will donate $100,000 to the Red Cross to help victims of the tornado, CEO Bill Klesse said in a note to employees cited by The San Antonio Express-News. In addition, the foundation will match employee donations to the Red Cross up to $50,000. Klesse said, "Valero was very lucky ... to learn that all of its Oklahoma-based employees are accounted for and suffered no major damage to their homes. Many others in the state, of course, were not so fortunate. Thank you for your willingness to help those in need, and keep all tornado victims and their families in your prayers."
- Wawa Inc. The Wawa, Pa.-based retailer has teamed up with local Philadelphia CBS media stations to raise money for victims of the Oklahoma tornado, said The Philadelphia Business Journal.
Among the many supplier relief efforts:
- AdvancePierre Foods. Cincinnati-based AdvancePierre has donated more than 175,000 servings of burgers, meatballs, breakfast sandwiches, Philly-style steaks, peanut butter and jelly snacks and chicken strips to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and The Salvation Army. The company also gave $10,000 to the Red Cross to aid the recovery work and will match associate donations up to an additional $15,000. In addition to the product and financial donations, the company is gathering donations of material goods and other supplies to deliver to the Red Cross. A team of AdvancePierre associates will also travel to Moore in the coming weeks to help with the cleanup efforts.
- Anheuser-Busch. The St. Louis-based brewer is providing 2,156 cases (51,744 cans) of emergency drinking water for use by relief workers and residents affected by the tornado. A-B is working with the Red Cross to get the water where it's most needed. Also, the company has made a $25,000 donation to the Red Cross to assist in their relief efforts.
- Hormel Foods Corp. Austin, Minn.-based -Hormel has donated three semitrailer loads of product to assist with tornado relief efforts. The donation of 165,000 Hormel Compleats microwave meals will go to Feeding America food banks in Oklahoma City and its surrounding suburbs.
- The Kellogg Co. Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg said it will commit more than 640,000 servings of food to support disaster relief efforts following the tornado in Moore. It sent four semitrailers of Kellogg's cereals and Keebler snacks to Moore, with more planned. Feeding America is working with food banks in its network, and other relief agencies, to provide the food to families and individuals, as well as relief workers assisting the community. Kellogg will also support the community through its Breakfasts for Better Days mobile disaster relief center, providing sit-down or "to-go" breakfasts and snacks to those in need. The Breakfasts for Better Days mobile disaster relief center has a tented seating area that can accommodate approximately 100 guests at a time and will provide thousands of servings of Kellogg's cereal, cereal bars, fruit, juice, coffee and milk each day.
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