PotashCorp donates $25,000 to Irma relief

Saskatchewan’s largest mining company has donated $25,000 to help a Florida county where it employs almost 600 people at a phosphate plant recover from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma.

PotashCorp. of Saskatchewan this week announced the donation to the United Way of Suwanee Valley and said it would match employee donations to similar causes.

The Suwanee river runs through northern Florida, which is near the company’s White Springs facility.

“While disaster relief is not a regular part of our community investment program, we want to support the communities where we operate, and we certainly hope this helps people get back on their feet,” PotashCorp spokesman Randy Burton said.

“We know this will be a challenging time and we want to play a role in getting the community back on its feet quickly,” PotashCorp president and CEO Jochen Tilk said in a statement.

“The United Way is on the front lines and we want to help ensure they have the resources necessary to support those in need.”

Hurricane Irma developed off the African coast in late August and ravaged several islands in the Caribbean before eventually making landfall in Florida, where it caused tens of billions of dollars of damage.

The Saskatoon-based fertilizer giant said in a news release that it previously donated $50,000 to the Florida Gateway Food Bank, which has provided food to displaced residents in the wake of the massive storm.

PotashCorp, which is set to merge with Agrium Inc. this year, has a long history of making charitable donations.

It has given hundreds of millions of dollars to various causes in Saskatchewan and elsewhere since its formation as a Crown corporation in 1975.