BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced that it will contribute $200,000 to the Salvation Army for flood relief efforts in Pennsylvania. Further, the company will enlist the support of its customers in collecting monetary contributions for flood victims at all of its stores in the region. Wal-Mart will work with public officials to identify additional organizations to provide with collected funds.
The announcement was made today in Bloomsburg by Hank Mullany, Senior Vice President of Operations for the company's Northeast Division. Mullany greeted Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell and U.S. Senator Rick Santorum in Bloomsburg as they toured the affected region.
"We know that the recovery and rebuilding has just begun," Mullany said. "Surviving a natural disaster like this means more than just riding out the rain and floods. It means rebuilding homes, lives and communities."
Wal-Mart's immediate focus is taking care of its own associates. The company believes that approximately 300 associates have been affected by the floods. The company will assist associates through Wal-Mart's Associate Disaster Relief Fund.
The company is also focusing on its communities in Pennsylvania and the entire affected region working with public officials at the state and local level to assess and support needs such as bottled water and cleaning supplies.
Some examples include:
* Store 1884 in Dixon City relayed a need for bottled water in Susquehanna
County. Wal-Mart delivered a truckload of water, approximately 12,000
gallons, to the Susquehanna County Fire Station.
* Two truckloads of water, approximately 24,000 gallons, were delivered to
the Great Bend Fire Station
* Store 1591 in Harrisburg is working with the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency to provide supplies for inspectors to begin field
visits that will allow for residents to return to their homes.
Wal-Mart will continue to work with public officials throughout the region to assess needs. Customers wishing to contribute to the relief efforts may do so at Wal-Mart stores across the Northeast, including Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company has operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca, formerly the Pacific Stock Exchange, under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartfacts.com/. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com/.
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