Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine have matched the $250,000 donation made recently by Carnival Cruise Line and parent company Carnival Corporation to aid organizations assisting victims of the Louisiana floods. The additional $250,000 donation was made through the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation and raises the total contribution from Carnival Cruise-related organizations to half-a-million dollars.

Recipients of the $500,000 total gift include the American Red Cross, Louisiana Association of United Ways and Save the Children.

“Recognizing the tremendous magnitude of this disaster and the Carnival organization’s long-standing partnership with the state of Louisiana, Madeleine and I felt strongly in our desire to provide additional support to organizations aiding in the flood relief efforts,” said Micky Arison.

The American Red Cross is sheltering thousands of residents displaced by the flooding in southern Louisiana and delivering food, relief supplies and emotional support to flood victims. Donations to the Louisiana Association of United Ways will be dispersed among regional United Way organizations in communities affected by the floods to support long-term needs. Save the Children has deployed an emergency response team to Louisiana and is focused on meeting the critical needs of flood-affected children and families and moving forward will be working to restore services essential to children’s well-being.

In addition to the total $500,000 donation, Carnival Cruise Line is encouraging guests sailing on its two New Orleans-based cruise ships, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Dream, to donate when they check in for their cruise.  Carnival employees are also being encouraged to donate.