CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duke Energy
Foundation today announced a donation of $100,000 toward response efforts to
battle the devastating wildfires in western
North Carolina and South Carolina.
"Firefighters have been working around the clock for weeks to
save lives, protect homes and defend Duke Energy infrastructure
from the flames," said Shawn Heath,
president, Duke Energy Foundation. "These men and women are on the
front lines protecting our communities. We are glad to make this
contribution to aid their ongoing efforts."
In North Carolina, Duke Energy
is donating $75,000 to the
Western North Carolina
Firefighters Association to help fire departments replace
equipment and supplies depleted through wildfire response. A review
committee will be created to determine the allocation of funds to
fire departments in the region.
"On behalf of the Western North Carolina Association of
Firefighters, we are honored and humbled by the donation
provided to the association by Duke Energy," said Curt Deaton, president, Western North Carolina
Firefighters Association. "The firefighters that serve the western
part of our great state have had some long and sleepless days and
nights due to the wildfires that have affected several counties in
our district. Working side by side with emergency management and
Duke Energy, our association is committed to assisting our
membership with this donation."
In South Carolina, the company
is donating $25,000 to the South
Carolina State Firefighters' Foundation – a nonprofit organization
under the umbrella of the South Carolina State Firefighters'
Association – to help those fire agencies that have been responding
to fires in South Carolina. They
will also establish a committee to determine allocation of funds to
help fire agencies replace equipment and supplies.
"The Duke Energy team reached out early to the agencies involved
in fighting the fire on Pinnacle Mountain to ask, 'What can we
do?'" said Phil Leventis, director
of development of the South Carolina State Firefighters Foundation.
"This kind of support from our community partners is always
instrumental in helping the men and women dedicated to protecting
our communities do their critically important jobs."
About Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy
Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs of
the communities where its customers live and work. In 2015, the
foundation provided more than $30
million in charitable gifts. The foundation's education
focus spans kindergarten to career, particularly science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy
and workforce development. It also supports the environment and
community impact initiatives, including arts and culture.
Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to their
communities as volunteers and leaders at a wide variety of
nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on
its legacy of community service. For more information,
visit http://www.duke-energy.com/foundation.
About Duke Energy
Duke Energy, one of the largest
electric power holding companies in the
United States, supplies and delivers electricity to
approximately 7.4 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest,
representing a population of approximately 24 million people. The
company also distributes natural gas to more than 1.5 million
customers in the Carolinas, Ohio,
Kentucky and Tennessee. Its commercial and international
businesses operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing renewable
energy portfolio.
Headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company
traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More
information about the company is available at
duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for
journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and
videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and
community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into
the past and insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
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SOURCE Duke Energy