Westlake Chemical donating $500,000 to Hurricane Laura relief

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Westlake Chemical and the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation have contributed a combined $500,000 to the United Way of Southwest Louisiana’s Hurricane Laura Disaster Fund, officials with Westlake Chemical announced Monday.

“As a long-time member of the greater Lake Charles community, which is home to Westlake’s largest concentration of employees and where Westlake started with our first plant in 1986, we are saddened by the hundreds of thousands of residents in the area who have been affected by Hurricane Laura,” Westlake President and CEO Albert Chao said in a statement. “However, this event has also demonstrated the admirable qualities of the people of the region - their desire to lend a helping hand. We are thankful for the support of organizations like the United Way in this time of great need.”

Chao is also a board member of the charitable foundation established in 1999 by the Chao family.

“We are truly amazed by the generosity of Westlake Chemical. During normal campaign seasons Westlake Chemical is one of our biggest community partners and their support is now amplified by this $500,000 donation towards our Hurricane Laura relief efforts,” Denise Durel, United Way of Southwest Louisiana president and CEO, said in a statement. “This donation will support our organization’s work to meet immediate community needs like food and shelter and the many long-term needs that are vital for a true recovery from this disaster.”