[Press Release from Today]
SEATTLE – September 8, 2005 – In response to the devastation resulting from Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf coast states, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (PGAFF) today made a pledge of $1 million to assist in the critical needs of disaster victims in that region. The Foundation is making two $500,000 contributions - one will go to the Red Cross supporting the immediate relief efforts currently underway to provide food, shelter, medical care and other interventions; a second $500,000 contribution will be made in the coming weeks to Gulf coast charitable organizations, which will support the long-term rebuilding efforts in their own communities.
"This is one of the worst natural disasters in the United States and the Foundation understands the need for urgent assistance," said Jo Allen Patton, executive director of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. “By supporting both immediate needs in the short-term, and working directly with charities in the affected regions in the longer-term, the Foundation is committed to helping the victims of Katrina and supporting efforts that make a difference.”
The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation transforms individual lives and strengthens communities by supporting arts and culture, youth engagement, community development and social change, and scientific and technological innovation throughout the Pacific Northwest. Learn more about the Foundation online at www.pgafamilyfoundation.com.
About Paul G. Allen
Philanthropist and investor Paul G. Allen seeks to improve the quality of life in Pacific Northwest communities through the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Named one of the top 10 philanthropists in the United States, with lifetime giving totaling more than $800 million, Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., and chairman of Charter Communications (a broadband multimedia company).
Allen is also the sponsor of SpaceShipOne, the first civilian effort to successfully put man in suborbital space and winner of the Ansari X-Prize in 2004; founder of Experience Music Project, Seattle’s critically acclaimed interactive music museum; the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame; the $100 million Allen Institute for Brain Science and its cutting-edge Allen Brain Atlas initiative; owner of the Seattle Seahawks NFL and Portland Trail Blazers NBA franchises; and founder of Vulcan Productions, the independent film production company behind Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven, the Evolution series on PBS, and the forthcoming six-part series (Nov. 1-3 on PBS), Rx for Survival – A Global Health Challenge. Learn more about Allen online at www.vulcan.com.
