Lilly Endowment Gives $10 Million To American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund

WASHINGTON, Friday, September 02, 2005 — In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Lilly Endowment Inc. has donated $10 million to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The Disaster Relief Fund provides food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and thousands of other disasters each year.

"For decades, the Lilly Endowment has been the premier supporter of American Red Cross disaster relief efforts. Their contribution today, as America faces its worst natural disaster ever, is another example of their great commitment to helping us help others. We thank them for their continuing leadership, and hope that their example inspires others to join us," said Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross.

Lilly Endowment is the largest donor in American Red Cross history donating more than $50 million dollars to programs and services since World War II. The Endowment made two grants of $5 million during last year's hurricane season and also provided the initial funding for the Coordinated Assistance Network (www.can.org) in the summer of 2004. That gift enabled the six CAN partner agencies to build an online victim case management system that is now being deployed nationally in response to Hurricane Katrina.

"For more than 60 years, Lilly Endowment has been pleased to support Red Cross efforts to minister to people suffering from forces beyond their control—and Katrina is certainly an unprecedented situation for this country. We are continually impressed with the way the Red Cross prepares for and responds to emergencies in an effective and caring manner," said Endowment President N. Clay Robbins.

The American Red Cross is launching the largest mobilization of resources in its history for a single natural disaster. More than two hundred Red Cross shelters are housing thousands of residents who fled Katrina's wrath. All available resources from across the country, including thousands of staff and volunteers are being moved to safe areas, so additional relief efforts can begin immediately after the storm passes. More than 200 emergency response vehicles (ERVs) and countless other Red Cross resources are on the scene to provide hot meals, snacks, bottled water and other much-needed relief supplies. In coordination with the Southern Baptists, we are serving more than 500,000 hot meals to storm-weary residents each day.

ABOUT THE LILLY ENDOWMENT INC.:
The Endowment is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family to support the causes of community development, education and religion.

About The American Red Cross

American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Donations are also being accepted at Coinstar machines at select grocery stores across America. To find the nearest Coinstar machine, visit www.coinstar.com. Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org