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News
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Florida Hurricane Relief Fund Announces $1 Million In-Kind Donation
Goodwill Industries of Florida to Donate Goods for Hurricane Recovery
Florida Hurricane Relief Fund Announces New Funding Initiative Bank of America, The Home Depot Donations Directed for Nonprofits
Florida Hurricane Relief Fund to Distribute $1 Million to Nonprofits Second Phase of Funding Totaling $6 Million to Counties Begins
Lt. Governor Jennings Unveils Hurricane Relief Fund Billboard
Governor Bush And Lt. Governor Jennings Join In Dine Out For Disaster Relief Day
Lt. Governor Jennings Announces Florida's Hurricane Heroes To Be Honored As Governor's Points Of Light Award Recipients
Lt. Governor Jennings Presents Hurricane Relief Fund Check To Volusia County
Florida Hurricane Relief Fund Totals Nearly $12 Million
Governor Bush Presents First Checks From Florida Hurricane Relief Fund
Governor Bush Announces More Than $6 Million Donated To Hurricane Relief Fund
Volunteer Florida Foundation Announces Allocation Guidelines for Hurricane Charley Relief Fund
Volunteer Florida Foundation Announces New Donations To Hurricane Charley Fund




Florida Hurricane Relief Fund Totals Nearly $12 Million

~ UnitedHealth, Royal Caribbean, Home Depot Pledge Millions ~

For Immediate Release Contact: September 23, 2004

Steve Uhlfelder, Fund CEO
850-201-0888

Fonda Anderson, Communications
727-821-2056

TALLAHASSEE – Contributions and pledges to the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund now total nearly $12 million, according to the nonprofit Volunteer Florida Foundation, manager of the fund. UnitedHealth Foundation has pledged $2 million to the fund. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have pledged $1 million and Home Depot has committed $500,000 in cash and $500,000 in products. The fund is being used to help Floridians impacted by the hurricanes this season rebuild their communities and lives.

”Floridians are among the most resilient Americans, but the need for assistance is great with three major hurricanes affecting virtually every part of our state in just over one month,” said Steve Uhlfelder, who has been appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to serve as voluntary CEO of the fund. ”We are truly moved and grateful for this constant outpouring of support from every corner of our nation, as well as right here at home.”

Other large monetary pledges this week include Anheuser-Busch Foundation at $500,000. Corporate pledges and donations of $25,000 and up for the week: $100,000 each -- Abbott Laboratories, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Nationwide Insurance, Raymond James Financial, St. Joe Company and UPS Foundation; at $50,000 each -- Apollo Group, Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers and Florida Engineering Society, Florida Select Insurance Company, PBS&J and Prudential Financial. Also, CBS/CSI:Miami, El Paso Corporate Foundation and Florida Realtors Disaster Relief Fund have pledged $25,000 each.

Donors are finding innovative ways to contribute to the fund. Dell Inc. has donated 78 notebook computers to the relief effort. BellSouth Telecommunications is inserting flyers about the fund in their next billing, to an estimated five million homes. In the true spirit of collegiate competition, state universities in Florida are doing separate fundraisers and competing with each other in donations generated. To date, individuals and groups in 37 states have contributed.


The Florida Hurricane Relief Fund is designed to help make relief dollars stretch and avoid duplications of funding. Counties selected for allocation from the fund are determined by FEMA filings for assistance – those counties with the most filings receive the largest percentage of the funds. Each county selected is required to develop a plan for addressing needs that cannot be met by insurance, state and federal assistance, as well as assistance from other relief organizations. Relief organizations are required to participate in formation of those plans.

Last week Gov. Bush distributed $200,000 in relief aid to Punta Gorda, the point of initial impact from Hurricane Charley. The funds were specifically designated by the contributing corporations to assist in health care and school supplies.

Governor Bush has appointed Florida leaders to guide the fund's growth. The steering committee is chaired by former U.S. Senator Connie Mack, with Tallahassee-based attorney Uhlfelder serving as the voluntary CEO. Vice-chairmen are Joe Lacher, President-Florida, BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. and Clarence Otis, CEO-designee of Darden Restaurants, Inc. Also joining the committee are Susan Story, President and CEO of Gulf Power Company, who will work to build business pledges, and Tony Carvajal, President of Carvajal Consulting and Management, who will strive to raise more than $2.5 million for the fund through association members. All committee members are serving as volunteers for the fund.

The fund is managed by nonprofit Volunteer Florida Foundation. All donations are tax-deductible and will be used for the hurricane relief effort in Florida. For more information, call 1-800-FL-HELP-1 or go to http://www.flahurricanefund.org/. Checks, made payable to the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund, can be mailed to Volunteer Florida Foundation, 401 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301.



Across Florida thousands of lives have been devastated this hurricane season.




Floridians in crisis need your help. Please donate to Florida Hurricane Relief Fund to help the thousands whose lives have been devastated.


Volunteer Florida Foundation
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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION NUMBER IS CH8536.