Target donates $250,000 to tornado-relief efforts

MINNEAPOLIS — Target will donate a quarter million dollars to disaster relief efforts in Oklahoma following a deadly tornado that killed at least two dozen people and left many more homeless.

The mass-merchandise retailer said the donation would include $150,000 in cash and in-kind donations to the American Red Cross, $30,000 in cash to the Salvation Army, $20,000 in product donations such as water and rescue and recovery suppliers and $50,000 to Plaza Tower and Briarwood Elementary Schools, which were devastated in the storm. On Monday afternoon, a tornado measuring EF5 on the five-point scale used to measure tornadoes' severity struck Moore, Okla., causing at least 24 deaths, 240 injuries and about $2 billion in damage; the tornado's death toll was revised downward from the days before, when it was estimated to be as high as 51.

"Target is saddened by the devastation in Moore, Okla., and committed to being a resource for this community," Target president, chairman and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said. "By volunteering our time and donating product and funds, we hope to help the residents of Moore recover from this disaster."