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More Hurricane Help
Posted: Friday, September 09, 2005
M. Shanken Communications Inc., the company that publishes Cigar Aficionado magazine and Cigar Insider newsletter, has joined the growing effort within the cigar industry to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Today, chairman Marvin R. Shanken announced that his company was donating $50,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. In addition, Shanken said his company would match all employees’ donations up to another $50,000.
Shanken personally thanked those employees contributing to the victims of "this most tragic disaster."
Last week, Altadis U.S.A. Inc. and Alec Bradley Cigar Co. said they would make donations to help those in need. Yesterday, the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America said it would ask members to donate cigars to relief workers.
On Thursday, Altadis U.S.A. pledged up to $500,000 to the American Red Cross to support the relief effort, and the company's Montecristo Relief Organization pledged an additional $500,000.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, company, which closed its own offices on August 25 as a far weaker Katrina bore down on Florida, pledged an immediate $100,000. In addition, it will match dollar-for-dollar up to $200,000 in donations made by company employees, vendors and customers.
The Montecristo Relief Organization, which was created by Altadis U.S.A. in 1998 to aid those in the Caribbean and Central America affected by hurricanes, will forward half of its $500,000 to the Red Cross immediately. The balance will be sent within 90 days.
Altadis, the maker of Montecristo, H. Upmann and many other premium cigar brands, also announced that proceeds from the sale of limited-edition Montecristo three-packs will now be directed to Hurricane Katrina relief.
For more information, call (954) 772-9000 or go to www.montecristorelieforganization.com.
Alec Bradley Cigar, a tiny marketer of cigars located in Dania, Florida, pledged to donate 10 percent of the profits from sales of its Alec Bradley Medalist line for the remainder of the year to victims of the hurricane. Alec Bradley president Alan Rubin said, "We will only select a charity that will put every penny into the hands of the people in need. The company will publicize the program with mailings and flyers in shipments to retailers."
The cigar industry is a very charitable one. For more on how cigar companies help those in need, read Cigars for Hope from the June 2005 issue of Cigar Aficionado.
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