Drew Wilson
The charity arm of Publix is making a $250,000 donation to the American Red Cross and United Way to help fund relief efforts for areas impacted by Hurricane Dorian.
The Lakeland-based grocery store chain announced the donation Thursday alongside the launch of a new effort that will allow customers to pitch in on post-Dorian recovery by making donating any amount during checkout at any Publix store.
Publx Super Markets Charities said 100 percent of customer donations will go to relief efforts.
“The damage and impact caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas has been devastating, and its path continues to affect Publix customers and associates in our coastal areas,” said Maria Brous, the company’s director of media and community relations.
“We have a long-standing history of providing support during times of need, and it is our privilege to do what we can to help those impacted by this storm.”
Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas earlier this week as a Category 5 storm with windspeeds over 185 mph.
Though Florida was spared a direct hit, the storm parked on Grand Bahama Island for 14 hours, in that time winding down to a strong Category 2 storm before heading northwest toward Florida.
