In the evening hours of April 27, America’s southeast felt the heel of Mother Nature’s boot as hundreds of tornadoes descended upon the countryside. As the full extent of the catastrophe continues to be assessed, Bridgepoint Education (NYSE: BPI) has already stepped up to help those in need. Bridgepoint Education has donated $5,000 to the American Red Cross to provide immediate frontline assistance.
In the span of 24 hours, more than 210 tornadoes laid waste to eight states. More than 310 people are confirmed dead, and thousands more have been injured. Property damage is predicted to exceed $1 billion. Alabama residents saw the worst of these storms, including a mile-wide tornado that passed within a quarter-mile of the University of Alabama. This single tornado, one of several recorded giants that evening, cut a devastating path through Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. More than a million homes and businesses are now without power.
“Natural disasters don’t discriminate, and they don’t live on the news. Real people suffer,” stated Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations at Bridgepoint Education. “Many Ashford and Rockies students live in the Southeast, plus friends and family of our faculty – we’re just happy to help.”
The American Red Cross continues to accept donations to help those affected by the disaster in America’s southeast. Donations can be made online at redcross.org.
About Bridgepoint Education
Bridgepoint Education’s postsecondary education services focus on offering associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in such disciplines as business, education, psychology, social sciences and health sciences. Bridgepoint Education’s regionally accredited academic institutions – Ashford University and University of the Rockies – deliver their programs online as well as at traditional campuses located in Clinton, Iowa, and Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information about Bridgepoint Education, visit www.bridgepointeducation.com or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 858.668.2580.