Sept. 15, 2017— Bridgestone Corporation and Bridgestone Americas Inc. announced the American Red Cross will receive $1 million to assist with relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. The funding is intended to support relief and recovery efforts across impacted areas including Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, key states in regions where Bridgestone has thousands of employees, customers and business partners.
"We have been humbled to hear of the tragic deaths associated with these hurricanes and send condolences to those who lost loved ones," said Chris Karbowiak, chief administrative officer for Bridgestone Americas. "We are proud to employ some of our strengths to support the affected communities and help rebuild lives and livelihoods. And more than anything, we are proud that our teammates have given so generously to support their community needs and their affected colleagues."
In addition to the American Red Cross donation, Bridgestone Americas is redirecting a portion of its annual Nashville-area United Way campaign allocation to United Way relief efforts in Texas. Moreover, the Bridgestone Americas internal Employee Assistance Funds, built through annual employee giving, has allocated more than $400,000 to support teammates procure temporary housing and vital necessities such as food, bottled water, and building supplies in their time of need.
To date, hundreds of Bridgestone employees have experienced losses or damages of their homes. More than 200 employees have received support from Bridgestone Americas Employee Assistance Funds. The Bridgestone footprint in the affected areas of Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida includes approximately 6,000 employees employed at more than 500 retail stores, many manufacturing facilities and several distribution centers.
