PRESS RELEASE
ABX AIR SPONSORS CHARTER FOR ST. LANDRY
Over 1,000 in Community of Opelousas, Louisiana, to get aid
WILMINGTON, OH - September 9, 2005 - ABX Air (NASDAQ:ABXA) is collecting items to support the community around Opelousas, Louisiana, which is housing over 1,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
“We were able to make a direct connection to the volunteers in Opelousas and St. Landry Parish (county),” said Gene Rhodes, Vice President of Human Resources. “They are housing people as best they can around the community and have given us a list of specific needs.”
Opelousas (www.cityofopelousas.com) is about 85 miles west of Baton Rouge and about 150 miles from the Gulf. Volunteers in and around the parish have found or created housing for over 1,000 people who have had to leave their homes. An ABX Air DC-9 will fly into Baton Rouge where ABX Air employees at the regional hub will unload it. From there the supplies will be loaded into a truck for the final delivery to Opelousas – also accomplished by ABX Air employees.
Specific items requested by the community include:
- nonperishable, ready-to-eat foods
- personal hygiene items (deodorant, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, razors, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, combs)
- laundry soap
- pillows, pillowcases, sheets, blankets, towels & washcloths
- plastic bags
- school supplies
- backpacks (kids & adults)
- shippable furniture & basic appliances (microwave ovens, folding tables & chairs, bean bag chairs)
Items they specifically requested NOT be sent include: clothing; shoes; weapons; items without labels; and glass containers.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our employees and our community, “said Rhodes. “We are collecting things we know someone needs and are going to be directly involved in getting the items right to the people who need them. We plan to fill a DC-9 with donations and fly it down to Baton Rouge.”
Items will be collected throughout next week at the DHL Air Park Remote Parking Lot on Airborne Road. There are specific drop off times so the items can be loaded into a truck and kept safe and dry. Tuesday, Sept. 13 through Friday, Sept. 16 the truck will be open between 4-9 a.m., 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., 3-5 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 17 items can be left between 7-10 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 18, items can be left between 6-9 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. Donated items should be able to fit in an ABX Air C-container.
This collection and charter flight is in addition to a fund set up internally to aid the nearly 60 ABX Air employees who live and work in the affected region.
ABX Air, Inc. is a cargo airline with a
fleet of 116 in-service aircraft that operates out of Wilmington,
Ohio, and 18 hubs throughout the United States. ABX Air became an
independent public company effective August 16, 2003, as a result of
the separation from its former parent company, Airborne, Inc., which
was acquired by DHL Worldwide Express B. V. In addition to providing
airlift capacity and sort center staffing to DHL Express (USA),
Inc., ABX Air provides charter and maintenance services to a diverse
group of customers. With over 9,000 employees, ABX Air is the
largest employer in a several county area in southwestern Ohio.
For more information, contact ABX Air.
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RELATED STORIES
(2/3/05) In support of the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the United Way of Clinton County, ABX Air employees have pledged or donated nearly $137,000. [more]
(1/3/05) ABX Air employees spent two weeks in December working to “stuff the bus” with over 1,300 pounds of food donations and cash donations totaling a very generous $1,775. [more]
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