Enterprise Rent-A-Car Pledging $100,000 to Canadian Red Cross Disaster Relief in Fort McMurray

TORONTO, May 16, 2016 /CNW/ - In response to the devastating wildfires that have displaced thousands in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is pledging $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross disaster relief effort.

Enterprise has worked with the Red Cross globally for more than 30 years, including an annual multi-million-dollar commitment by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation – the philanthropic arm of the Enterprise brand – to the Red Cross's Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). This is the second straight year the Foundation is giving $1 million to the ADGP, which helps provide a reliable funding base for disaster relief services, enabling the organization to respond immediately to meet the needs of those affected by disasters of all sizes, at no cost and regardless of income.

"We are thankful that our employees and their families have been accounted for and are safe. But we know the job is far from done and on behalf of everyone at Enterprise, we want to commend the brave firefighters, emergency services personnel and aid workers whose efforts have saved lives and are protecting the community from further devastation," said Jim Thompson, vice president and general manager for Enterprise in Alberta. "Enterprise is a family-run company that operates in communities across Canada so when disaster strikes, supporting our families and the local relief and recovery effort becomes our top priority."

With more than 600 fully staffed neighbourhood and airport branch offices throughout Canada, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is uniquely positioned to provide local transportation alternatives, seamlessly moving vehicles around the country and into affected areas to help meet local car rental demand. When natural disasters or severe weather events strike, this robust neighbourhood network is an integral part of mobilizing the local recovery efforts of insurance providers, emergency response organizations and repair shops.

The extensive Enterprise network also facilitates strategic support, providing vehicles for insurance companies, utility companies and government agencies so they can get the recovery and restoration process underway as quickly as possible. Enterprise also works closely with its insurance and collision repair center partners to make sure their customers have replacement vehicles when their own cars are being repaired as a result of a natural disaster event – such as the fires in Fort McMurray.

To facilitate this kind of immediate response, each Enterprise regional operation has an Emergency Action Plan that identifies steps to take in a crisis, a contact list for key personnel and disaster recovery guidelines for daily rental branches. The plan also focuses on how Enterprise's branch offices communicate with each other to ensure that the right number and types of vehicles are available where they are needed most. 

In addition, Enterprise has worked with Tree Canada and Trees Ontario as part of it 50 Million Tree Pledge, a long-term sustained commitment to reforestation efforts in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. As part of this pledge, Enterprise has already planted more than 800,000 trees in Canada over the past decade.

For more information about Enterprise Rent-A-Car, visit www.enterprise.com.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand known for an extensive network of locations, affordable rates and outstanding customer service. When severe weather and natural disasters strike, the Enterprise neighbourhood network plays an integral role in mobilizing the local recovery efforts of insurance providers, emergency response organizations and repair shops. Enterprise Rent-A-Car's local branches and its insurance and collision partners also can leverage the company's evolving technology platforms, such as ARMS®. Other transportation services marketed under the Enterprise brand name include Enterprise Fleet Management, Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Truck Rental, Enterprise CarShare, Enterprise Rideshare, Zimride by Enterprise, Exotic Car Collection by Enterprise and Enterprise Flex-E-Rent.

SOURCE Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Lisa Martini, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, [email protected]; Leily Shafaee, Argyle Public Relationships, [email protected]