Enterprise Rent-A-Car Renews Annual Support for American Red Cross Disaster Relief with $1 Million Gift

PR Newswire

ST. LOUIS, May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second straight year, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is pledging $1 million to the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP), an effort supported by leading corporations around the country that allows the Red Cross to access funds at a moment's notice when natural disasters strike.

The gift is part of an annual, multi-million-dollar commitment by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation – the philanthropic arm of the Enterprise brand – to fund Red Cross emergency preparedness and relief efforts. This year's $1 million contribution to ADGP is in addition to $125,000 already donated by the Foundation to support Red Cross disaster relief efforts aiding those impacted by massive flooding in Houston, Missouri and North Carolina this past year. In addition, just this month, the Foundation also donated $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to assist with relief efforts as a result of raging wildfires in Northern Alberta Canada.

"As a global organization, we understand how important the Red Cross is to people and organizations across the world," said Carolyn Kindle, vice president and executive director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation. "We continue to support its efforts to provide comfort and care to communities during their times of need."

Enterprise's partnership with the Red Cross helps provide a reliable funding base for disaster relief services, enabling the organization to respond immediately to meet the needs of those affected by domestic and international disasters of all sizes, at no cost and regardless of income.

"Ongoing financial support from ADGP members helps create a reliable funding base for disaster relief services, providing food, shelter, emotional support and other essential assistance," said David Staszak, Red Cross chief development officer. "Money donated by the public and ADGP is essential to our ability to assist disaster survivors and support the first responders and volunteers who work tirelessly at the scene of a disaster."

Disaster Recovery Support
Enterprise's support of ADGP complements the company's ongoing work to provide critical transportation alternatives when tornadoes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters strike without warning.

With more than 5,600 fully staffed neighborhood and airport branch offices throughout the United States, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is uniquely positioned to seamlessly move vehicles around the country and into affected areas. The extensive Enterprise network also facilitates strategic support for insurance companies, utility companies and government agencies so they can get the recovery and restoration process underway as quickly as possible.

In addition, each Enterprise regional operation has an Emergency Action Plan that focuses on how Enterprise's branch offices communicate with each other to ensure that the right number and types of vehicles are available where they are needed most.

Enterprise recently mobilized thousands of vehicles to Texas from its nationwide network of car rental locations to assist first responders and local residents affected by massive hailstorms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as those affected by flooding in other parts of the state including Houston and San Antonio. In addition, Enterprise worked closely with its insurance and collision repair center partners throughout the region to make sure their customers had replacement vehicles when their own cars were being repaired.

These emergency-preparedness efforts have been widely recognized. For example, both the National League of Cities and New York Gov. Cuomo's office have noted Enterprise's leadership in disaster recovery efforts. Government Executive magazine likewise recognized Enterprise in its "Crisis Management: Storm Surge" article highlighting the company's work to assist emergency responders during Superstorm Sandy.

For more information about Enterprise Rent-A-Car, visit www.enterprise.com.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand known for an extensive network of locations, affordable rates and outstanding customer service. When severe weather and natural disasters strike, the Enterprise neighborhood network plays an integral role in mobilizing the local recovery efforts of insurance providers, emergency response organizations and repair shops. Enterprise Rent-A-Car's local branches and its insurance and collision partners also can leverage the company's evolving technology platforms, such as ARMS®. Other transportation services marketed under the Enterprise brand name include Enterprise Fleet Management, Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Truck Rental, Enterprise CarShare, Enterprise Rideshare, Zimride by Enterprise, Exotic Car Collection by Enterprise and Enterprise Flex-E-Rent.