why everybody loves Raymond

Alert readers might recall that in early January, Raymond Corp. and its dealers pledged to donate up to $200 for every truck sold in January and February to tsunami relief efforts. At the time, the company projected that the pledges—$200 for each Raymond-brand electric rider truck and $50 for each electric walkie pallet truck—could reach $300,000.

Well, business must have been booming. Last month, the Greene, N.Y.-based manufacturer donated not $300,000 but $340,000 to provide relief to victims of the Asian tsunamis. The funds will be evenly divided among three charities: Action Against Hunger - USA, which will assist tsunami recovery efforts for at least two years; International Rescue Committee Inc., which has a two-year program to help rebuild schools and health-care facilities; and AmeriCares Foundation, whose long-term program provides equipment and supplies to rebuild hospitals and clinics.

"We hope that our contributions will help these charities maintain their efforts to assist people in the regions devastated by December's tsunamis," says James J. Malvaso, president and CEO of Raymond. "We thank our customers who purchased Raymond trucks in January and February for their orders, which have enabled this effort."