Media Contacts:
American Red Cross – Jim Burns
408-483-7455
jim.burns@redcross.org
Capital Insurance Group – Chelsea Asplund
831-233-5360
CAsplund@ciginsurance.com

Carmel, Calif. (January 9, 2018) — Capital Insurance Group, a Monterey-based insurance carrier, is giving $70,000 to the American Red Cross of the Central Coast. The gift is enabling the chapter to purchase a vitally important disaster-response vehicle that will primarily be used in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties.

The Red Cross's Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) are a staple of the organization's ability to support individuals, communities, and first responders during disasters. While Red Cross shelters provide food, water, and other supplies at fixed locations, ERVs deliver supplies on-the-go to neighborhoods, resource centers, and other disaster-related sites where they are critically needed.

With this purchase, the local chapter will replace an aging vehicle in its local fleet with a "next generation" model that is more energy efficient, better able to provide users with real-time information about a current disaster, and designed with more functional stations for Red Cross workers and the people these vehicles ultimately serve.

"We are so appreciative of this major commitment from Capital Insurance Group," said Michele Averill, CEO of the Red Cross of the Central Coast. "While CIG's generosity is making it possible for us to purchase this vehicle, the company's gift is really supporting the many people who will be served by this vehicle during times of disaster."

Headquartered in Monterey, CIG has been serving the Western U.S. since 1898 with coverage for personal, commercial, and agricultural business segments, with an emphasis on property-related exposures. 

“We are honored to support our local chapter of the Red Cross, as we share in the mission of repairing lives,” said Arne Chatterton, President & CEO of CIG. “This past year we witnessed the most devastating wildfires California has ever seen. We understand the magnitude of what it takes to restore our communities during and after a crisis. We are proud to help the Red Cross purchase this new ERV and support disaster relief efforts in a tangible way.” 

In addition to CIG's cornerstone support, the local chapter's purchase of the ERV was made possible by three other large gifts: $33,500 from the Robert and Virginia Stanton Endowment of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, $10,000 from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and $10,000 from an individual donor who wishes to remain anonymous. "The support we received from each and every one of these special donors has made the purchase of this emergency vehicle a reality for us," Averill said. "We are very appreciative of all of their generosity."

Because of its affiliation with the local chapter, the new ERV will primarily be used during Red Cross responses to local disasters; as with other vehicles in the organization's fleet, the new ERV could also be requested for use at large-scale disasters outside the tri-county area requiring mutual aid.

The new ERV will be built to specifications requested by the local chapter. Expected to be delivered to the Central Coast in the next 9 to 12 months, the new vehicle will replace one of three that the local chapter currently maintains in the tri-country area. The vehicle to be replaced is approximately 25 years old with maintenance costs that are increasingly making its operation prohibitively expensive.

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About the American Red Cross of the Central Coast:
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. The American Red Cross of the Central Coast serves the residents of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties.  For more information, visit our website at redcross.org/centralcoast or call us at 831-624-6921. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Capital Insurance Group:
Capital Insurance Group® (CIG) is the leading regional property and casualty insurer serving the Western U.S. since 1898. The company is known for providing trusted insurance products for the personal, commercial, and agricultural business segments, with an emphasis on property related exposures. The 120-year-old company employs nearly 500 people across five states (Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona). CIG is rated “A-” (Excellent) by A.M. Best, the independent financial monitor of the insurance industry. The company also celebrates an average claims satisfaction rate of 96 percent. CIG manages personal, business, and agriculture risks underwritten by its affiliate companies: California Capital Insurance Company, Eagle West Insurance Company, Nevada Capital Insurance Company, and Monterey Insurance Company. For more information, please visit CIGinsurance.com.

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