ST. LOUIS, Monday, February 11, 2008 - The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter is one of 12 Red Cross chapters to receive funding from the Cardinal Health Foundationin support of disaster readiness and emergency response initiatives. The mission of the Red Cross is to provide relief to victims of disasters and to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. This gift from Cardinal Health directly supports the organization's lifesaving mission.

 

"The St. Louis Area Chapter is honored to be one of twelve American Red Cross Chapters receiving funding from this generous gift given by the Cardinal Health Foundation," said Joseph C. White,Chief Executive Officer of the St. Louis Area Chapter. "This gift will be used to improve training programs, while enabling the St. Louis Area Chapter to provide assistance to victims of local disasters through additional funding for mass care, vehicle maintenance and travel costs."

 

Based on Cardinal Health employee populations and Red Cross chapters serving in these communities, the Red Cross will distribute Cardinal Health's $585,000 commitment to the St. Louis Area Chapter and the following chapters: American Red Cross of Greater Columbus, Greater Chicago, San Diego Imperial Counties, Mid-Rio Grande (New Mexico), Greater Houston Area, Inland Empire (California), Louisville Area, York County (South Carolina), Greater New York, Dallas Area and Greater Arkansas.

 

"We are proud to support the American Red Cross and its goal to increase readiness nationwide for large scale disasters," said Jim Mazzola, executive director of the Cardinal Health Foundation. "Our Foundation has assisted relief efforts of the American Red Cross for many years, but this grant is the largest we've made. It is also significant because it supports communities where our employees live and work."

In addition to the grant, the Cardinal Health Foundation has donated more than $725,000 for disaster relief during the past two years, specifically targeting $400,000 to recovery and relief efforts associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 91 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 446,600 times each year. The Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at (314) 516-2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.

About the Cardinal Health Foundation:

Supported by the global resources of Cardinal Health (www.cardinalhealth.com) 40,000 employees around the world, the Cardinal Health Foundation’s mission is to advance and fund regional and national programs that improve access to and delivery of quality health care services. With annual revenues of $87 billion and operations on five continents, Cardinal Health serves the health-care industry with products and services that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce costs, improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better care to patients.