OREANDA-NEWS. In response to the recent mudslides in Washington, BP Foundation is donating USD 50,000 to the American Red Cross Mt. Baker Chapter to provide assistance and aid to victims and their families during the ongoing recovery effort.

The contribution will assist with the purchase of emergency food, health services and shelter for those displaced by the disaster.

In addition, the BP Foundation is matching employee donations to the relief effort.

Separately, BP's Northwest Fuels Value Chain is donating USD 10,000 in pre-paid gas cards. They will be distributed by the Snohomish County Chapter of the Red Cross to local residents impacted by the massive Oso landslide, which took place in a rural area southeast of BP's Cherry Point refinery.

Along with the gas cards, BP and local ampm convenience store franchisees are donating two pallets of water.

The BP Foundation is a separate legal entity from BP and accounts independently for its operations, assets, liabilities and expenses.

Since 2006, it has donated approximately USD 278 million to charitable organizations around the world.

Over the past five years, BP has invested nearly USD 50 billion in the US - more than any other energy company. BP is a leading producer of oil and gas and provides enough energy annually to light nearly the entire country for a year. Employing approximately 20,000 people in all 50 states, BP supports more than 260,000 jobs total through all of its business activities.

Since 2006, the BP Foundation has invested more than USD 200 million in U.S. initiatives.

Last year, the BP Foundation donated USD 450,000 for flooding and tornado relief efforts in communities in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alaska, Colorado and Illinois.

BP, with about 1,000 employees in Washington, operates an oil refinery in Cherry Point and supports a network of ARCO ampm fuel and convenience store sites retail statewide.