4.05.2004 ET

(CSRwire) ATLANTA – For the fourth year in a row, UPS and its employees led the nation in supporting the annual United Way campaign.

UPS and its employees donated $54.2 million to United Way in 2004, an all-time record and the third consecutive year the company has exceeded $52 million in contributions. UPS’s 2002 United Way contribution of $52.2 million made the company the first ever to contribute more than $50 million to United Way in one annual campaign. UPS’s 2003 contribution totaled $53.2 million.

“When the men and women of UPS broke the $50 million mark in their employee campaign, they set a new standard for caring.” said Brian Gallagher, president & CEO of United Way of America. “The company’s continued growth in 2004 reconfirms that it cares about what matters most: improving lives, building communities and sharing its strength with others in need.”

More than 229,000 UPS employees participated in this year’s campaign, contributing nearly $45 million. The company then contributed about $9.3 million.

In addition to the monetary contributions, UPS employees also volunteer their time and talents to help those in need. Approximately 30,000 employees participate in UPS’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, a company-wide volunteer initiative that matches employees and their families with volunteer opportunities based on their interests, skills and availability.

“UPS and United Way share a commitment to improve communities and increase the capacity of nonprofits,” said Evern Cooper, president of The UPS Foundation and vice president of UPS corporate relations. “UPS employees continue to demonstrate their decades-long commitment to the community by donating their money and volunteer time to help improve the lives of others. We are a proud United Way partner and support its on-going efforts.”

Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation has a tradition of providing support through grant programs and initiatives that help improve the quality of life in communities where UPS employees live and work. Last year, The Foundation donated nearly $40 million to charitable organizations worldwide.

As the world’s largest package delivery company and an employer of 357,000 worldwide, UPS is uniquely positioned to identify and address the urgent human needs of our communities. UPS's human contributions often are coupled with financial donations made by The UPS Foundation. To find out more about UPS's involvement in the community, visit www.community.ups.com.

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