KRIS Communications, Cordillera launch Harvey relief fund for Texas’ Coastal Bend
TV station group will match up to $50,000 to help hard-hit neighbors
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Aug. 31, 2017) — KRIS Communications of Corpus Christi, and parent company Cordillera Communications, announced a new fund-raising drive, Give To The Gulf, for victims in Texas’ Coastal Bend hit hard by Hurricane Harvey’s extreme winds and flooding rains.
All Give To The Gulf proceeds will go to the Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group, operated by the Coastal Bend Community Foundation based in Corpus Christi, and the American Red Cross of Coastal Bend.
The Coastal Bend Community Foundation works to leverage all donor contributions to benefit residents in seven Texas counties (Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio) in natural disasters such as Harvey. The American Red Cross of Coastal Bend has been serving 19 Coastal Bend counties since 1916. Its history is replete with examples of everyday people doing extraordinary deeds to alleviate human suffering.
To speed donations and relief efforts, KRIS and Cordillera will match up to the first $50,000 donated to Give To The Gulf, said Greg McAlister, president and general manager of KRIS Communications.
“At KRIS, all of us know how it felt to have Harvey bear down on Corpus Christi, and know cities such as Rockport and Port Aransas, all the way along the Coastal Bend, have suffered great losses,” McAlister said. “At KRIS Communications, we care about our communities and strive to serve them every way we can, so we want to help our neighbors recover from this massive disaster.”
Other Cordillera TV stations nationwide, including KVOA in Tucson, KATC in Lafayette, La., WLEX in Lexington, Ky., KOAA in Colorado Springs, KSBY in San Luis Obispo, and the company’s Montana Television Network stations, will assist in communicating and promoting this relief fund effort, said Terry Hurley, president of Cordillera.
“We’re privileged to broadcast in communities where people know that helping others in need is important, and just the right thing to do,” Hurley said. “We will get the word out to our viewers nationwide, so they know how easy it is to join this relief effort spearheaded by our Corpus Christi colleagues.”
The web addresses for donation pages at KRIS Communications’ stations are:
In addition, other Cordillera stations’ websites and mobile sites will have prominent links to a Give To The Gulf page with easy instructions to make donations, Hurley said. The stations’ newscasts will also include information on how to contribute. Donations are tax-deductible.
About KRIS Communications
Located in the heart of downtown Corpus Christi, KRIS Communications operates KRIS-TV, which has been broadcasting since 1956. KRIS, an NBC affiliate, is the most watched news source on the Coastal Bend, delivering meaningful investigations and community-oriented stories.
In addition to NBC, KRIS Communications broadcasts a diverse portfolio of programming on its six channels, including CBS-, CW- and Telemundo-affiliated stations. KZTV is owned by SagamoreHill, but is run by the KRIS staff.
About Cordillera Communications
Formed in 1986 as a subsidiary of Evening Post Industries, family-owned Cordillera Communications is based in St. Paul, Minn. Cordillera owns and operates television stations in 11 geographically diverse small- and medium-sized markets, serving more than 2.3 million U.S. households. Its Cordillera Digital subsidiary operates web and mobile news sites, and related digital businesses, alongside each station.