Employee Donations for Haiti Relief Matched by Capital BlueCross, Added to Corporate Contribution

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital BlueCross today announced that the company and its employees are contributing $57,000 to aid in rebuilding efforts of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Capital BlueCross committed $25,000 in a corporate contribution to the cause and pledged to also match employee donations. Employee giving totaled $16,000. All donations were made to the American Red Cross, or to any of 12 other approved Haiti relief organizations. The 12 relief organizations were chosen based on their overall ratings and ability to provide support to Haiti.

Employees were able to donate directly to the relief organization of their choice online and also had the option of donating by check.  

"Through the years, our employees have shown the desire to respond as a company to those afflicted by major natural disasters, such as with the hurricane in New Orleans or the tsunami in Southeast Asia," said Bill Lehr, president & CEO. "Knowing that culture of caring, our senior team wanted to provide an avenue and an impetus for employee giving.

"Our employees responded and it is so important that they have. Recent estimates have the damages in Haiti reaching $14 billion. That translates into a long, difficult financial recovery, one that will require assistance from throughout the world for years to come."

Lehr said that Capital BlueCross employees have a long track record of giving to those in need, especially in the region the company serves. This includes running a successful United Way campaign every year, resulting in Capital BlueCross repeatedly earning the Pillar Award for its generous campaign contribution.

Capital BlueCross is the leading health insurer in its region, providing health insurance coverage to nearly one million people in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.  Capital BlueCross is committed to making health insurance simple for its customers and members through all the stages of life by offering nationally acclaimed customer service and a full range of innovative benefit programs at competitive prices.

The company has been providing health security to the people and communities of central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley for more than 70 years and employs more than 2,000 people in the region.

Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

More information about Capital BlueCross and its subsidiaries can be found by going to www.capbluecross.com.

SOURCE Capital BlueCross