Support from ADGP Leaders like Pfizer helps power the Red Cross mission, ensuring we can deliver help and hope. Here, Red Cross volunteer Kathryn Wescott talks with a local resident in Spokane in the wake of the Washington Wildfires.
Pfizer has long supported the American Red Cross, helping power its lifesaving mission since 1986. Three years ago, The Pfizer Foundation* became an Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Leader. This generous group of organizations gives $1 million annually to help ensure the Red Cross can prepare for and respond to disasters big and small. These proactive donations help enable the organization to maintain the infrastructure, trained volunteers and resources needed to assist families and communities when the unthinkable happens.
But Pfizer's partnership with the Red Cross extends beyond disaster relief. Across Pfizer sites, colleagues actively support its mission through regular blood drives that help maintain the nation's blood supply. In 2025, Pfizer hosted 37 drives resulting in 1,214 units of life-saving blood collected.
"We're grateful and honored to be a long-standing partner of the Red Cross, whose work eases suffering for people facing crisis and disaster around the world,” said Jenny Sia, executive director, the Pfizer Foundation. “The Pfizer Foundation provides ongoing support, but it's our colleagues who've truly been moved by that mission — rolling up their sleeves, literally, at blood drives they've organized at Pfizer sites across the US. That's the heart of this partnership."
At Pfizer's Groton, Connecticut, campus, Business Operations Coordinator Alexis Gillies has seen firsthand the enthusiasm colleagues bring to each event.
"Red Cross blood drives are a wonderful opportunity for our colleagues to live our company values and directly support the health and well-being of our friends, neighbors and broader community," Gillies said. "By hosting blood drives on our campus, we make it easy for people to contribute in a way that fits seamlessly into their lives."
As one of Pfizer's research and development sites, Groton has a long tradition of connecting colleagues with meaningful community involvement opportunities. Over the past year, the site met its donation goals at nearly every blood drive, reflecting colleagues' commitment to helping patients and families in need.
That same commitment is evident at Pfizer's McPherson, Kansas, site, where blood drives are held every other month and structured to accommodate both day- and night-shift colleagues. Led by Registered Nurse Emily Koehn and Nurse Practitioner Anda Entz, the drives provide a convenient opportunity for employees to make a lifesaving impact during the workday.
As blood drive leads, Koehn and Entz are honored to help create meaningful opportunities for colleagues to make a difference in the lives of others. By hosting these drives on-site, Koehn and Entz believe that Pfizer fosters a strong sense of community, shared purpose and engagement across its workforce.
Volunteerism is another cornerstone of Pfizer's relationship with the Red Cross. For Sharin Harbeck of Pfizer's Immunization & Immunology team, the connection is deeply personal.
In 1997, Harbeck survived a life-threatening medical emergency shortly after the birth of her son and required lifesaving blood transfusions. Inspired by the generosity of blood donors who helped save her life, she dedicated herself to supporting the Red Cross mission. Over the years, she organized blood drives through schools and workplaces, helping collect more than 500 units of blood.
Today, Harbeck serves as a liaison between Pfizer colleagues and the Red Cross, helping create educational and volunteer opportunities that strengthen community impact.
"What began as gratitude for the people who helped save my life has grown into a lifelong commitment to supporting the mission of the Red Cross," Harbeck said. "I'm proud to work for a company that not only encourages community involvement but actively invests in helping colleagues make a greater difference."
Together, the Pfizer Foundation’s disaster relief support, blood donation programs and volunteer efforts demonstrate how a corporate partnership can create meaningful impact throughout the year.
“With the steadfast partnership of Annual Disaster Giving Program Leaders like The Pfizer Foundation that support multiple areas of our mission, the Red Cross continues to provide help and hope to families facing emergencies,” said Cliff Holtz, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “We are deeply grateful to The Pfizer Foundation — and Pfizer colleagues — for standing with us to deliver our lifesaving work.”
*Founded in 1953 by Pfizer Inc. as a charitable organization, The Pfizer Foundation is a separate legal entity from Pfizer Inc. with distinct legal restrictions.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.