BETHESDA, Md., June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As wildfires continue to burn across Colorado, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced it will donate $100,000 to the American Red Cross and open the Lockheed Martin Employee Disaster Relief Fund (LMEDRF) to support employees affected by the natural disaster.

"At Lockheed Martin, actively supporting our communities is part of our core values," said Emily Simone, director, Lockheed Martin Community Relations. "Many of our employees have been directly affected by the wildfires, and we believe it is our responsibility to our employees and our community to provide assistance."

The donation to the American Red Cross will support Red Cross efforts to respond to wildfires in Colorado, help residents recover from the aftermath, and invest in preparing Colorado communities to be more prepared for future wildfires.

"We are so very grateful for this support from Lockheed Martin – donations like this help us provide shelter, food, comfort and recovery supplies to the residents affected by these devastating wildfires and will help ensure that we are ready to respond to the next wildfires that strike in our Colorado communities," said Gino Greco, CEO of the American Red Cross of Colorado.

In addition, Lockheed Martin will open the LMEDRF, which assists employees in federally declared disaster areas. Since its creation in 2006, employees have contributed more than $10 million to help their coworkers in times of need. The LMEDRF is fully funded by employee and company donations and provides emergency, short-term assistance for employees impacted by declared disasters. Since inception, the LMEDRF has been activated in response to 22 disasters.

Also, beginning July 5, Lockheed Martin will provide employees with another way to support their communities—vacation donation. Through this program, employees will be able to donate the cash value of unused vacation time to approved charities, including the Red Cross.

"With more than 8,300 employees in Colorado, we are doing everything possible to support our coworkers and community through this difficult time," continued Simone. 

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 118,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

For additional information, visit our website:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com

SOURCE Lockheed Martin