NEW YORK, September 23, 2013 –Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:BGCP) and the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, today visited Moore, Oklahoma to distribute $1,000 prepaid debit cards to each family who had a child in the Moore Public School district at the time of the May 20 tornado and whose home was damaged or destroyed.
Howard W. Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. and BGC Partners, Inc., accompanied by his wife Allison and his sister Edie Lutnick, who is the President and Co-Founder of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, and dozens of volunteers came to Moore to personally distribute the debit cards to the community’s families. They were joined by Congressman Thomas Cole, Mayor Glenn Lewis, City Manager Steve Eddy, and Superintendent of Moore Public Schools Dr. Robert Romines at a press conference in the gymnasium of Moore’s First Baptist Church.
Mr. Lutnick said, “On behalf of the partners and employees of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC, our prayers are with Moore’s families as they rebuild their lives and homes. We wanted to do what we could to help families whose world changed overnight. We, more than anyone, understand the road to recovery may be long and difficult, and we wanted to help by putting money into the hands of parents, who can decide what is best for their family.”
Mr. Lutnick expressed gratitude to Jet Blue, which provided roundtrip air transportation for the New York-based Cantor team to come to Moore and gave special thanks to Payoneer® for donating its debit card services.
Edie Lutnick said, “It is through personal support that individuals and communities begin to heal. In the wake of our losses on 9/11, many Oklahomans reached out to support us. It is our honor to assist families with children in Moore’s schools who were in the path of this inconceivable destruction.”
Allison Lutnick said, “We were all extremely saddened to witness the extent of the destruction here in Moore. We wanted to apply our experience in helping victims of 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy by providing direct financial assistance to families and children. Our hope is that this financial aid will provide a measure of relief to families who have experienced so much loss.”
The May 20, 2013 tornado, rated EF5 at its peak strength, struck Moore and adjacent areas with winds estimated to have reached 210 miles per hour, across a path up to 1.3 miles wide and 17 miles in length.
Corporate Match
Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners will match all donations to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund for the Moore, Oklahoma tornado assistance program. Donations may be made by check to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, ATTN: Oklahoma Tornado, 110 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022, online through PayPal at http://cantorrelief.org/donations.html, or credit card by calling (212) 829-4770.
Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Partners, and the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund
Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Partners, and the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to assisting victims of terrorism, natural disasters and emergencies, have a legacy of assisting families after having lost 658 of Cantor’s 960 New York employees in the World Trade Center attacks, and have provided the families of our employees who perished on 9/11 with over $180 million.
All revenues from Cantor Fitzgerald’s and BGC’s annual Charity Day, which took place this year on September 11, 2013, are donated to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund and charitable causes around the world. In addition, through the funds generated by Charity Day, the companies are privileged to provide assistance to families who were severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy and the Oklahoma tornado.
The generous support of Cantor’s and BGC’s clients and employees who waive their pay on Charity Day enable Cantor and BGC to support the philanthropic mission of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund. The Relief Fund distributes 100% of every donation to victims’ families, and all administrative expenses of the Relief Fund are underwritten by Cantor Fitzgerald.
For more information, please contact the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund at 212-829-4770 or info@cantorrelief.org