Potash receives service award

Published 6:50 pm Saturday, February 18, 2012

United Way of North Carolina News Release

PotashCorp Aurora was awarded the Chairman’s Award for outstanding service and commitment to the community at the annual meeting and awards luncheon of the United Way of North Carolina.

The Chairman’s Award is reserved for those occasions when a company goes well beyond its usual corporate philanthropy and exhibits extraordinary community spirit and support.

Mark Hamblin (left) with the Beaufort County United Way presents the 2011 Spirit of North Carolina Chairman’s Award to Ray McKeithan, manager of public affairs and governmental affairs for PotashCorp-Aurora. (Contributed Photo)

In 2011, PotashCorp Aurora’s corporate and community spirit was demonstrated by its support in response to the devastation brought to eastern North Carolina by Hurricane Irene.

PotashCorp Aurora immediately responded to the recovery effort by donating pallets of bottled water and ice.

Many employees worked side-by-side with recovery crews in Beaufort and Pamlico counties.

The company also made an initial donation to the American Red Cross of $50,000 to help in the immediate response effort.

The following week, the company, in collaboration with Beaufort County United Way, established the PotashCorp/Beaufort County United Way Irene Relief Fund with an initial donation of $250,000.

The company augmented this amount with another $15,000 which was a dollar-for-dollar match of donations made by its employees.

These funds were earmarked by a committee of PotashCorp employees for the long term recovery efforts in Beaufort and Pamlico Counties.

Randy Welch, United Way of North Carolina board president stated, “PotashCorp Aurora is deserving of special recognition as an outstanding example of community support and corporate philanthropy, not only in the monetary donations by the company and its employees, but by giving of time and talent as well. PotashCorp is a shining example of what a great corporate citizen means to its community and is deserving of our recognition.”