Companies respond in big way to tsunami disaster

Capital region businesses and their employees donated nearly $1 million in less than 30 days after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami last December, according to estimates from local charities.

Contributions poured in from companies including Trek Bicycle, UW Credit Union, Ancora Coffee Roasters, First Weber Group, UW Health, Meriter Hospital, Victor Allen's Coffee, Culver's and Lands' End.

Advertisement

Sandy Lampman, president of the Badger Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the contributions to the Tsunami International Response Fund were overwhelming. She said only the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, drew more support.

"It's an incredible testament, I think, to the communities and nation for the heartfelt support that came forward," Lamp-man said.

Electric Theatre Controls in Middleton, a manufacturer of entertainment and architectural lighting, donated $150,369.

"We were able to respond quickly to this," said Patricia Bornhofen, the company's public relations manager. "Our employees came to us asking for ways to contribute."

Bornhofen said ETC matched employee donations dollar for dollar, including contributions of vacation time converted into cash.

Lampman said that an exact total of contributions attributed to a specific employer would be difficult to calculate, but that the generosity of Madison companies and their employees was immediate and profound.

"We saw a big surge in our donations right after the tsunami happened," said Erin Dammen, communications specialist for Alliant Energy. "We offered matching funds for contributions of $25 or more."

But Dammen said Alliant does not track matching donations earmarked for a specific cause.

"We just get the form that says UNICEF and don't know if it was necessarily for tsunami relief," Dammen said. "But we do know that several hundred of our employees made donations during that period."

Lampman said total contributions to the International Red Cross reached $400 million in less than 30 days. Contributions for tsunami relief from Dane County to the Red Cross totaled $556,000, she said.

"It was at that point the Red Cross stopped actively soliciting donations. But they still kept coming in," Lampman said.