Apple Accepting Red Cross Donations for California Fire Relief

[MacRumors]

Apple today added banners to the App Store and iTunes Store on Mac and iOS devices allowing Apple customers to donate to the American Red Cross to support those who have been affected by the fires that have devastated Northern California.

Impacting Shasta County and the town of Redding, the Carr Fire has become the sixth most destructive fire in California's history, ripping through more than 125,000 acres and destroying or damaging over 1,500 homes and buildings. Other smaller fires, such as the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, are also raging in California due to the hot, dry weather.

The Carr Fire started on July 23 after a car caught fire on California State Route 299. Six people have been killed, including two firefighters. The fire is 39 percent contained at this point, but high winds expected this weekend could hamper efforts to put it out.

Apple is allowing its customers to donate using credit and debit cards that are already on file with the iTunes and App Stores, for a simple, no-hassle donation process. iTunes and App Store users can donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200, 100 percent of which goes to the American Red Cross.

Apple often uses the iTunes Store and App Stores to raise money for charity during major disasters. Apple collected donations on behalf of the American Red Cross during the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the 2013 Philippines typhoon, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

This is the second year that Northern California has been hit with major fires, and last year, Apple donated $1 million towards relief efforts following the fires that devastated Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa, California. Apple also donated another $1 million towards Southern California fire relief efforts back in December.

Fire season in California typically lasts through the late summer and well into October, with scorching temperatures, dry weather, and high winds reacting with dry brush caused by drought. This July, areas in Northern California have seen unusually high temperatures leading to an early start to fire season.

Article Link: Apple Accepting Red Cross Donations for California Fire Relief

 

[the johnmc]

Pretty sure it's been burning around here in the summer for a few more than two years.

 

[mudflap]

Am I a jerk for wondering why people would live in a home smack in the middle of millions of trees in one of the hottest, driest areas in the country?

 

[Chopper9]

Trillion dollar company donates a whopping $1 million dollars.

That is 0.0001%

That’s equivalent of a guy making $50K a year throwing in a nickel.

 

[McTaste]

Why give the tax deduction to Apple?

 

[Weaselboy]

Why give the tax deduction to Apple?

Apple does not get a tax deduction for this, you do if you donate.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Am I a jerk for wondering why people would live in a home smack in the middle of millions of trees in one of the hottest, driest areas in the country?

It hasn't been this bad for a long time... I have lived in California since 1989. There has been a pretty severe drought here in the last decade that has hit the place REALLY hard.

Even the place I'm renting right now in the high desert, if you go to Google Maps, you see trees, grass, bushes... in the street view. Now? I have dirt in my front yard, dirt in my backyard - everything has died in the last 10 years.

CA has worked hard to require places to create a safe zone around their houses but there always seems to be idiots who love starting fires (getting worse) every year. Thanks to the drought, it's ... really bad here.

We're all fined if we use a lot of water too. So I have a bucket in the shower to flush the toilet to help with the water shortage that we've been having here for the last year+.

Just an FYI for those who aren't a native Californian.

 

[EvilEvil]

The Red Cross is a scam. Donate to charities that actually give 100% aid to the people that need it.

 

[HacKage]

If there is a foundation that I'm going to be donating money to, you can bet the Red Cross are at the very bottom of the list!

 

[blacktape242]

The Red Cross is a scam. Donate to charities that actually give 100% aid to the people that need it.

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[MacLawyer]

Trillion dollar company donates a whopping $1 million dollars.

That is 0.0001%

That’s equivalent of a guy making $50K a year throwing in a nickel.

Even if Apple management felt like donating $100,000,000.00, some enterprising class action lawyer would stir up a shareholder action for dilution of shares.

 

[citysnaps]

The Red Cross is a scam. Donate to charities that actually give 100% aid to the people that need it.

Which registered charities do you recommend that give 100%. And specifically, to this cause

 

[autrefois]

Can MacRumors stop blindly posting the iTunes Red Cross information each time there’s a disaster and include at least a brief note recognizing there are other alternatives for people who want to help?

Whenever Apple does the Red Cross PR thing, a large number of the comments (correctly) focus on the fact that the Red Cross gives comparatively little to actual disaster relief compared to other charities, including local ones who often know better where the money is needed.

No MacRumors isn’t required to help, and neither is Apple. But it would be nice to do the right thing so that the people whose lives are affected can get the help they need.

 

[NMBob]

Salvation Army does WAY better than the Red Cross. The Red Cross is more of a business than a charity.

 

[Markoth]

Which registered charities do you recommend that give 100%. And specifically, to this cause

No charity can give 100%. They all have operation costs. Someone's paying for it, one way or another. The Red Cross does far more advertising and awareness raising than any other charity I know of. Yes, they do spend more because of that, among other things.

But, once you're aware, there really isn't a reason to give to the Red Cross.

 

[44267547]

Trillion dollar company donates a whopping $1 million dollars.

That is 0.0001%

That’s equivalent of a guy making $50K a year throwing in a nickel.

Naturally Curious, did you donate anything? I ask Since you want to point out that Apple clearly isn’t donating enough based off your math.

 

[Hedwigg]

Am I a jerk for wondering why people would live in a home smack in the middle of millions of trees in one of the hottest, driest areas in the country?

Because even on fire, anywhere in California is better than the rest of America.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Trillion dollar company donates a whopping $1 million dollars.

That is 0.0001%

That’s equivalent of a guy making $50K a year throwing in a nickel.

How much did you and your company donate?

I bet you complain about people that take a week of their time to go feed starving people in a 3rd world country because they're only using 25% of their total vacation time to do so.

 

[pat500000]

The Red Cross is a scam. Donate to charities that actually give 100% aid to the people that need it.

I remebered that they were some sites that people could look up to for non-profit organizations.

 

[tdawson47]

Trillion dollar company donates a whopping $1 million dollars.

That is 0.0001%

That’s equivalent of a guy making $50K a year throwing in a nickel.

Net worth and annual revenue are two different things. Apple is worth $1T but last year their revenue was $230B. So it's more like a guy making $50k throwing in a quarter.

Now, you might say that your point is still valid, but also keep in mind that it's not Tim Cook's money. The shareholders own Apple and the executives can't just give away all the money without repercussions. Also keep in mind all the other companies out there giving $0.

 

[applepuree]

Super. Now please do the same for Greece and other areas devastated by fires or floods recently.

 

[tdawson47]

Because even on fire, anywhere in California is better than the rest of America.

Elitist much? I know a lot of people who used to live in California who say otherwise. I considered the bay area myself back during the dotcom boom and while I love to visit San Francisco and the wine country, I wouldn't want to live there. To each their own.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Elitist much? I know a lot of people who used to live in California who say otherwise. I considered the bay area myself back during the dotcom boom and while I love to visit San Francisco and the wine country, I wouldn't want to live there. To each their own.

As someone born in Iowa but has lived here for a long time, I hope that the comment was sarcastic, which is why I gave it a thumbs up.

California rent, taxes, freeway traffic, and other problems that I'll stay out of for risk of politics infringement... California has its pluses but definitely has a lot of negatives. I'd take a nice quiet farm house in Iowa over this anyday.

California works if you have a high paying job or were born rich.

 

[Hedwigg]

Elitist much? I know a lot of people who used to live in California who say otherwise. I considered the bay area myself back during the dotcom boom and while I love to visit San Francisco and the wine country, I wouldn't want to live there. To each their own.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Mommy... I'm scared .