Spirit of America

Oct. 1, 2001
People across America have rallied together these last few weeks to help raise funds and donate aid for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

People across America have rallied together these last few weeks to help raise funds and donate aid for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

The energy industry-oil and gas companies in particular-have been out in front on this effort.

Just in the 2 weeks following the attacks, energy companies have pledged or donated tens of millions of dollars to international relief agencies such as the Red Cross and United Way and to private charities established to directly assist families of victims of the terrorist attacks. And these companies have helped in other ways.

The energy industry has been by no means alone in this effort-thousands of organizations and businesses and millions of individuals have contrib- uted as well. The overwhelming response to this tragedy is a credit to the spirit of the American people. In a crisis, we come together as one.

Contributions

While it isn't customary for this space to be used for this purpose, there wasn't anything customary about the events of Sept. 11. So we would like to give recognition to just some of those contributing to relief efforts. We don't have the space or the means to acknow- ledge all those contributing, so the following is just a sample:

  • Shell Oil Co., $3 million to the United Way's September 11th Fund, $1 million to the Cantor Fitzgerald Foun- dation (whose brokerage firm lost almost all of its 700 New York office employees), and $1 million for the Survivors' Fund.
  • PG&E, $1 million to assist victims where needed most.
  • Chevron Corp. and Texaco Inc. (soon to merge), $5 million each to relief agencies.
  • Dominion Resources Inc., $500,000 to September 11th Fund and the Commonwealth of Virginia Victims Assistance Fund.
  • Phillips Petroleum Co., $3 million to assist victims.
  • Sunoco Inc., $1 million to provide the "best possible assistance."
  • ExxonMobil Corp. and employees, up to $20 million. The company will match employee dollars on a 3:1 basis, plus donate $5 million for immediate relief needs.
  • Conoco Inc., $1 million pledge of corporate and individual funds to assist families of fallen rescue workers.
  • Amerada Hess Corp., $5 million to help families of killed and injured rescue workers.
  • CMS Energy Corp., $50,000 donation to American Red Cross.
  • Valero Energy Corp. and Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corp., (soon to merge) $500,000 jointly to American Red Cross.
  • Marathon Oil Co. and Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC, a joint donation of $200,000 to American Red Cross.
  • Unocal Corp., $100,000 assistance: $50,000 to American Red Cross and $50,000 to September 11th Fund.
  • Enron Corp., $1 million contribution: $500,000 to American Red Cross and $500,000 to the rescue workers' families. Enron also will match employee donations 2:1 up to $15,000.
  • Anadarko Petroleum Corp., $300,000 to American Red Cross.
  • Burlington Resources Inc., $50,000 to American Red Cross blood supply effort.
  • Superior Energy Services and em- ployees, $400,000 to American Red Cross.
  • Foster Wheeler Ltd., $100,000 divided between American Red Cross and September 11th Fund.
  • Exelon Corp. and Entergy Corp., $1 million donation to the Power of America Fund, which will assist children of the victims in their future education.
  • Equilon Enterprises LLC, $500,000 donation to September 11th Fund.

Non-US companies with a strong US presence also gave generously, such as BP PLC, with a donation of $5 million to various relief groups.

Nonmonetary relief

Energy companies gave in nonmonetary ways, too.

Refining companies have donated millions of gallons of fuel to the emergency service crews of both New York and Washington, DC.

Tosco Corp., in addition to fuel donations, has offered its tugboats to assist in cleanup efforts.

GPU Energy, Reading, Pa., responded to a request for assistance in Somerset County, Pa., site of one of the crashed airliners. The Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation set up a command center in one of the firm's field offices. The company also provided all-terrain vehicles for use at the crash site and cell phones for the local Red Cross.

Civic duty

Whether your company donates money, gives employees time off for blood donations, or sends supplies, it is our civic duty as Americans to come to the aid of others in such a crisis.

It is this degree of community service, generosity, caring, and support for our country and fellow citizens that sets us apart from other nations-it's the spirit of America.