St. Louis, Missouri and
Parkersburg, Iowa
June 5, 2008
In the wake of significant tornado
damage to the community of Parkersburg, Iowa,
Monsanto has announced a
$65,000 contribution to relief and rebuilding efforts in
Parkersburg. The contribution will be used to assist those who
suffered from a sizeable tornado in northeast Iowa that killed
seven people and destroyed significant property in the town of
Parkersburg and nearby communities. Monsanto operates a
manufacturing plant in Parkersburg, but the site was not damaged
and is still active and in full operation.
As part of the Parkersburg community, Monsanto will be donating
$15,000 to the Parkersburg Tornado Disaster Relief Fund
established through the LSB Foundation at Lincoln Savings Bank
for assistance with immediate community needs. In addition,
Monsanto, through the Monsanto Fund, will contribute $50,000
towards rebuilding the science education program at
Aplington-Parkersburg high school.
James E. Thielen, First Vice President / Senior Trust Officer at
Lincoln Savings Bank and Manager of the LSB Foundation was moved
by the news of Monsanto's generous donation. "On behalf of those
who have been affected by the recent storms, the LSB Foundation
would like to thank Monsanto for their generosity. The
Foundation is dedicated to providing aid to those who have
experienced such devastating losses as a result of the tornado."
He went on to add, "The relief effort is truly an outstanding
example of people helping people in their time of need."
Jon Thompson, Superintendent from the Aplington-Parkersburg
School District indicated that, "The communities of Aplington
and Parkersburg are fortunate to have a strong sense of
community pride, a resilient attitude and a clear vision of what
we are working for in the future. This generous contribution,
which provides much needed financial support to our new school,
also strengthens our hearts as we move forward. The knowledge
that people care for one another and their clear willingness to
help has served as an inspiration to school staff as we move
'Upward, Onward, and Forward.'"
"We are relieved that all of our employees at Parkersburg are
safe even though several suffered significant or total damage to
their homes and property," said Kent Martin, Monsanto vice
president of US manufacturing.
"Everyone in the Parkersburg community is impacted in some
manner through relatives and friends, and as members of the
Parkersburg community, it's important to help provide support
for all those who were impacted. We hope this contribution will
help Parkersburg start to rebuild the community."
About Lincoln Savings Bank and the LSB Foundation
For over a century, Lincoln Savings Bank has been an Iowa-owned
institution devoted to serving the financial needs of customers.
The LSB Foundation was established at Lincoln Savings Bank for
the purpose of receiving charitable donations for the benefit of
local communities. Lincoln Savings Bank has offices in Allison,
Aplington, Cedar Falls, Garwin, Greene, Hudson, Lincoln, Nashua,
Reinbeck, Tama and Waterloo. Visit http://www.mylsb.com/ for
more information.
About Aplington-Parkersburg School District
The three school buildings of Aplington-Parkersburg Schools
currently serve 830 students daily. The high school was home to
238 students and will find a temporary home within the middle
school building in Aplington and will bring that building's
enrollment up to 422. Our elementary students from both
communities, some 410 strong, will all be housed within
Parkersburg Elementary. Temporary classrooms (portables) will
need to be established at both sites to provide adequate
classroom space. A new high school will be built at the same
location on North Johnson Street in Parkersburg.
About Monsanto
Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of
technology- based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. For more information
on Monsanto, see:
http://www.monsanto.com/.
About Monsanto Fund
The Monsanto Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto
Company.
Incorporated in 1964, the Fund's primary objective is to improve
the lives of people by bridging the gap between their needs and
their resources. The Monsanto Fund is focused on grant-making in
four main areas: nutritional well-being through agriculture;
science education, primarily on professional development for
teachers; the environment, which includes conservation,
protection of biodiversity, clean water and restoration of
wildlife habitat; and improving the quality of life in
communities where Monsanto employees live and work. |
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