ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 04, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- To help the victims of tornadoes and floods in the Southern States, The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a global leader in payment services, and the Western Union Foundation, through its Agent Gift Matching Program, and Western Union Agent Food Lion and The Rite Aid Foundation, today donated $300,000, in total, to benefit the American Red Cross.

Additionally, for individuals and corporations wishing to donate to the disaster relief effort, Western Union has set up a Quick Collect^(R) contribution account in the U.S., benefiting the American Red Cross.

Consumers in the U.S. can contribute to relief efforts through the American Red Cross by making a no-fee Quick Collect money transfer transaction directed to the account, up to $5,000, over the next 30 calendar days. Consumers would need to complete the Western Union Blue Payments / Quick Collect form, using: "American Red Cross" as the Company Name; "RedCrossUSA DC" as the Code City and State; and "Tornado Relief" as the Account #.

"The damages in the South are catastrophic, leaving thousands in need of support," said Luella Chavez D'Angelo, President The Western Union Foundation. "The American Red Crosswill use the funds to assist with critical efforts such as providing food, water and shelter to families and children most affected by the disaster."

The Western Union Foundation is also encouraging employee donations through the Western Union Employee Gift Matching Program. The Western Union Foundation will match registered employee donations to the American Red Cross on a one-for-one basis.

Western Union's Agent Gift Matching Program matches one-for-one qualifying Agent donations to eligible nonprofit organizations worldwide. Food Lion and its customers donated $100,000, and The Rite Aid Foundation donated $50,000, for a combined donation matched by the Western Union Foundation totaling $300,000.

Western Union's disaster relief efforts are part of the company's signature Our World, Our Family ^(R) initiative. Launched in September 2007, this five-year, $50 million commitment equips individuals and families worldwide with the skills, knowledge and resources essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. Since its introduction, the Our World, Our Family ^(R)initiative has provided more than 800 grants in over 100 countries and has touched more that 1.85 million lives.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. The Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services are offered through a combined network of approximately 455,000 Agent locations in 200 countries and territories. In 2010, The Western Union Company completed 214 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $76 billion of principal between consumers, and 405 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About the Western Union Foundation

Through Western Union's Our World, Our Family(R) signature program, the Western Union Foundation supports initiatives to empower people through access to economic opportunity. Recognized by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy in 2009, the program is a five-year, $50 million commitment reflecting efforts made by Western Union employees, agents and partners around the world. Since 2001, the Western Union Foundation has awarded more than $73.4 million in grants to more than 2010 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 104 countries and territories. To learn more, visit foundation.westernunion.com.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization -- not a government agency -- and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

About Food Lion

The Food Lion family of supermarkets, based in Salisbury, N.C., operates more than 1,300 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Harveys or Reid's. These stores meet local customer needs and preferences for the freshest and best quality products. The Food Lion family employs approximately 74,000 associates in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.

About The Rite Aid Foundation

The Rite Aid Foundation, founded in July 2001, is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping people in the communities Rite Aid serves. Rite Aid is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with more than 4,700 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia with fiscal 2011 annual revenues of $25.2 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through Rite Aid's Web site at www.riteaid.com.

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SOURCE: Western Union Foundation

Western Union
Daniel Díaz,+ 1 720-332-5564
daniel.diaz@WesternUnion.com