Ryder System, Inc. Joins the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Givi...( $1 million donation will support disa...),Health

$1 million donation will support disaster preparedness and response at national and local level

WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ryder today announced it is committing $1 million over the next three years through the Ryder Charitable Foundation to support national and local disaster preparedness and response efforts, making it the newest member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090108/RedCrossLOGO )

This is Ryder's largest national donation to the Red Cross, although the Miami-based company has been a longtime supporter of the American Red Cross. The majority of the $1 million gift, $850,000, will be designated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, and the remaining $150,000 will be directed to the Greater Miami & the Keys chapter.

"In these difficult economic times when the need is so great, the generosity of partners such as Ryder allows the American Red Cross to be the helping hand to people in crisis," said Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross. "We are so pleased that Ryder is expanding its philanthropic partnership to both the national and local levels of the Red Cross, and Ryder's multi-year commitment to the Annual Disaster Giving Program enables us to have the resources to provide people with disaster relief for large-scale disasters such as a tornado, hurricane or wildfire, or a smaller disaster like an apartment or house fire in Florida."

Since 1991, Ryder has been a significant philanthropic partner of the Red Cross, providing financial support to national headquarters and the Greater Miami & the Keys chapter, as well as supplying in-kind donations of trucks, spon
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