Orkin donates $100K to American Red Cross

LOGO: ORKIN

As a result of its recent “Donating Blood Should be Voluntary” campaign, Atlanta, Ga.-based Orkin Pest Control donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross via a virtual check presentation between Freeman Elliott, president of Orkin, and Jennifer Pipa, CEO of American Red Cross of Georgia. A short video of the presentation can be seen on Orkin’s Facebook page.

“I am proud to say we achieved that milestone ahead of time,” Elliott said before the virtual “handoff” of the check. “We wanted to do our part during this trying COVID-19 time, to help a great cause, to really contribute to our community, and we are thankful for that.”

Through this initiative, Orkin donated $25 to the American Red Cross when a customer signed up for a mosquito control service in late April and May, up to $100,000. The purpose of this partnership was to save lives on two fronts: To aid the Red Cross in maintaining the national blood supply, and to protect people against the public health threats of mosquitoes.

With no known end date in the fight against coronavirus, Orkin wanted to do its part to support the American Red Cross to help maintain a sufficient blood supply for the weeks and months to come.

In Pest Management Professional’s April 27 coverage at the start of the campaign, Frank Meek, BCE,  noted that “mosquitoes are one of the world’s greatest public health threats. While we typically think less about that in the U.S., the current pandemic may cause heightened concern over disease transmission.” Meek is technical services manager for Orkin’s parent company Rollins Inc., and a member of the Pest Management Professional magazine editorial advisory board.