Red Wing Shoe Company Assists in Hurricane Katrina Relief

RED WING, MN (September 13, 2005)

Red Wing Shoe Company is coordinating relief efforts to assist the communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. Many Red Wing Shoe customers and some retail stores were impacted by the recent events and Red Wing Shoe Company has implemented a plan to raise money for relief and pledged to assist in rebuilding the stores. In cooperation with the Minnesota Helps Fund, Red Wing Shoe Company has coordinated an employee donation fund for Hurricane Katrina.

“We began our relief efforts by matching the generosity of our employees,” explained Red Wing Shoe President, David Murphy. One hundred percent of the funds donated to the Minnesota Helps Fund will be given to organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, the United Way and other organizations providing direct support in the Gulf region.

In addition to the financial contributions Red Wing Shoe is making, the company is also donating footwear to various organizations. “Bringing safety footwear to the region is another of our efforts to assist and we hope the donations will be instrumental in helping the victims and relief volunteers rebuild efforts,” said Murphy.

Red Wing Shoe Company has made mobile shoe trucks ready and available to outfit customers in the region hit by the hurricane. Trucks that had been scheduled to make stops in other areas have re-organized their routes, making stops in the Gulf region their highest priority. As an industry leader, Red Wing Shoe is diligently working to make shoes available to workers helping to restore essential services like oil and gas production, which affect the whole country’s economy.