AFL Presents $22,000 Disaster Relief Grant to American Red Cross

23/10/2017

Spartanburg, SC – AFL, a leading global fiber optic cable and accessories manufacturer, presented a $22,000 grant to the American Red Cross in support of disaster relief in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria and the earthquake in Mexico City. The grant was made possible by AFL associates and AFL’s Community Outreach Program which matched associates’ donations dollar for dollar to the American Red Cross.

“The effects of the hurricanes and the earthquake will have a lasting impact in so many different communities for years to come,” commented Corie Culp, community relations manager for AFL. “Over the month of September, our associates’ compassion was evident. We hope what we are able to provide will make a difference for families as they heal from the devastation.”

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in southeast Texas as a Category 4 hurricane. Weakening to a tropical storm, nearly 50 inches of rain fell, triggering flooding in parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Harvey killed 60 people, and is projected to cost up to $150 billion in damages. A few weeks later, Hurricane Irma formed as a Category 5 storm, devastating the Caribbean Islands and leaving a path of destruction throughout Florida. Weeks after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma subsided, one of the strongest hurricanes in history pounded the Caribbean again, decimating many islands. Hurricane Maria touched down in Puerto Rico—the entire island lost power and communication became almost impossible.

The American Red Cross, along with community and government partners, has provided more than 1.3 million overnight stays in emergency shelters to the victims of these natural disasters throughout the affected states and territories. Shelters were opened in eight states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Red Cross has served more than 6.7 million meals and snacks, and provided more than 3.6 million assorted relief items to people in need.

“The American Red Cross is a great source of comfort during a great time of need,” continued Culp. “And although we may not personally feel the effects of what happened, we can provide our support so that they can be a source of light for those who are in other countries and other states and who desperately need their assistance.”

AFL’s extensive Community Outreach Program provides grants, sponsorships, employee engagement projects, disaster relief and more. For additional information on AFL and its community initiatives, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well as several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless, and outside plant
applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

Contact
Corie Culp
Community Relations Manager
AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com