FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Salesforce to be Recognized for its Outstanding Long-Term Contributions at San Francisco City Hall During the 25th Annual Red Cross Gala on March 23
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 19, 2019) — The American Red Cross of the Bay Area is pleased to announce its 2019 Red Cross Gala Honoree: Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM. Salesforce’s extraordinary contributions will be recognized and celebrated during the 25th Annual Red Cross Gala, being held March 23 at San Francisco City Hall.
This year marks 130 years of Red Cross service to the Bay Area community, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Red Cross Gala as a volunteer-led fundraiser. The Red Cross Gala is dedicated to recognizing local heroes and supporting the Red Cross mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
The Red Cross started using Salesforce in 2009, in an effort to manage relationships with volunteers, donors, and service recipients more effectively. This past year, Salesforce, the company’s philanthropic arm Salesforce.org, and their employees have invested more than $800,000 and 2,000 volunteer hours to support the mission of the Red Cross. In response to the devastating fires throughout Northern and Southern California in 2018, Salesforce launched a campaign to sponsor a new emergency response vehicle (ERV) after listening to the needs of the Red Cross. The funds raised support the acquisition of a “Next Generation” ERV, fuel and maintenance, as well as feeding during the deployment of the ERV during relief operations over the lifetime of the vehicle. Additionally, Salesforce.org matched donations voluntarily raised by its employees to directly aid families affected by the California wildfires. Salesforce and Salesforce.org employees volunteered their time by installing smoke detectors in low-income homes through the Sound the Alarm campaign, supporting the #MissingType initiative to attract 300,000 new or lapsed blood donors, mapping global communities for ease of disaster response through the Missing Maps program and supporting disaster relief.
“Salesforce has been an extraordinary supporter of the Red Cross for more than 17 years, donating millions of dollars and more than 11,000 volunteer hours to advance our mission, and to ensure that everyone who wants to help change the world has the tools and technology to do so,” said Gala Co-Chair Lindsey Haswell. “This year was no exception. Salesforce proved to be a tireless partner donating resources toward problem-solving and generous funds in the face of the most destructive wildfire in California's history. We look forward to honoring them for their countless contributions at this year’s Red Cross Gala.”
Salesforce and Salesforce.org’s overall investment exceeds $2.1 million, which includes $325,000 donated by employees over the course of the partnership.
Further, in 2017, Hurricane Harvey inundated the gulf coast with the largest amount of rainwater ever recorded in the continental United States. An overwhelming response, from the impacted communities, to the Red Cross’ immediate cash assistance program caused the web platform to shut down due to hundreds of thousands of requests per second. In only one week, Salesforce employees jumped in — pro bono — to create a platform that allowed the Red Cross to give $225 million in financial assistance to more than 573,000 households. “The platform that Salesforce developed worked flawlessly and was never stressed, even during peak load times,” remarked Gail J. McGovern, the Red Cross’s President and CEO.
“The Red Cross is a true trailblazer in the humanitarian sector, making communities safer and more resilient in the face of disasters,” said Alex Dayon, president and chief strategy officer, Salesforce. “Salesforce is grateful to be honored as Humanitarian Company of the Year and proud to be a trusted longtime partner, surrounding the Red Cross with the full force of our model -- technology, community, and investment -- to help advance their mission.”
Time and again, particularly this year, families turn to the Red Cross for shelter, food, comfort and hope. In the last five years alone, the Red Cross of the Bay Area’s Gala has raised over $5M, with $11M in total raised over the last 25 years. Since its inception, the fundraiser’s purpose has always been the same: to celebrate and sustain the lifesaving programs and services of the Red Cross.
The 25th Annual Red Cross Gala will be held on Saturday, March 23, at San Francisco’s historic City Hall. Hosted by Gala Co-Chairs Lindsey Haswell and Meredith Kendall Maines, the red-tie event will feature a cocktail reception, three-course dinner by renowned Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events, live auction, entertainment and an after-party. Proceeds will support the programs and services of the Red Cross.
Made possible by Presenting Sponsor Zelle, this year’s Red Cross Gala receives further support by sponsors Kathryn W. Holmes, Dignity Health, Elizabeth J. Folger and Robert J. Elred, Jeremy Liew, Lillian Phan, PG&E, TMG Partners, Wells Fargo, Aaron Maines and Meredith Kendall Maines, APPLOVIN, Camille McCormack, Christine DeSanze and Scott Anthony, Eric and LeeAnn Woodward, Eva Monroe, Jerry Chen, Lindsey and Jonathan Haswell, Kaiser Permanente, Robert Elfont and V’Anne Singleton, Lucy Wu, Brad O’Niell and Kris Davidson, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Jennifer Mitrenga Maymon and Tomer Maymon, and The Oakland Raiders.
Join us in recognizing the 2019 Red Cross Gala Humanitarian Company of the Year and supporting the Red Cross mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering during times of emergency. Individual tickets for the Red Cross Gala start at $1,500. After Party tickets are still available for purchase and are $135 each. Tickets may be purchased here.
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About the American Red Cross of the Bay Area: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/bayarea or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Press Contacts: Jenn Wade, Julia Gonsalves or Alyssa Gonsalves at J. Wade Public Relations at redcrossgalapr@jwadepr.com or 415-325-5519.