DEERFIELD, Ill., September 5, 2012 - In the week after Hurricane Isaac made landfall along the Gulf Coast, Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (NASDAQ: WAG) responded with donations of more than $100,000 worth of products to the American Red Cross for relief efforts in the hardest-hit states. The company delivered three truckloads of food items to Red Cross facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama for distribution to first responders and those in need.
“We’re proud that Walgreens can be counted on to respond quickly in emergency situations to assist communities in need,” said John Gremer, Walgreens director of community affairs.
“We are committed to the health and safety of the communities we serve,” said Kim Treece, Walgreens market vice president. “With the help of our team members, store operations and distribution centers, we were able to provide much-needed assistance to residents, relief workers and others in the area.”
Anticipating temporary store closures due to severe weather, Walgreens prepared in advance by staging more than 100 emergency generators for rapid deployment. Logistics managers also implemented emergency procedures to ensure store shelves were stocked as demand increased for prescription medications, bottled water, batteries and other essentials.
With nearly 230 Walgreens locations in areas impacted by the storm, the company also received requests from its local team members who experienced hardships due to the extreme weather.
Employees are being assisted through the Walgreens Benefit Fund, which was created in 1939 as a tax-exempt charitable foundation designed to help team members in need. Every team member who is faced with an extreme hardship and has exhausted their financial resources is eligible to apply for assistance. Employees are not required to pay back the donation.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to become America’s first choice for health and daily living. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 7,919 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
Walgreens
Vivika Panagiotakakos
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