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CNN Live Today
Home Depot Founder Discusses Donation to Fight Against Anthrax
Aired April 04, 2002 - 10:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hard to believe, but it was six months ago the nation was reeling from the horrific September 11 attacks. They were hit with another deadly ambush. This one apparently originated closer to home, although it's still a mystery. Mail laced with anthrax spores began circulating. Contaminated letters were mailed to some members of Congress prompting an extensive cleanup of the Hart Office Building.
The first anthrax victim, a photo editor at a Florida-based newspaper, died on October 5. Five people in all died from inhalation anthrax. Investigators have narrowed their search, but they still have not found out who is responsible.
During the anthrax scare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was the first line of defense by collecting and providing vital information.
Now, after a generous gift, the CDC will be even better prepared to deal with such a national crisis; the founder of Home Depot, Bernie Marcus, is donating almost $4 million to the CDC. The money will help build an Emergency Reaction Center.
And with us now, Bernie Marcus, joining us to talk more about this -- good morning.
BERNIE MARCUS, HOME DEPOT FOUNDER: Good morning.
KAGAN: I've got to ask you, what is a nice millionaire like you, who made your fortune on hammers and nails doing giving a bunch of money to the CDC?
MARCUS: Well, you know, at the Home Depot, we have taught people for years that giving away is very, very important. It is part of the culture of a Home Depot, and you know, it's called "walk the walk and talk the talk." We walk the walk and talk the talk. And since I am retired from the CDC, and I will be off the board this year, I am going to devote most of my time to philanthropic things, and what more important than the health and welfare of people in the United States.
KAGAN: So you are already well aware of the need at the CDC and got to see it in action during the anthrax scare.
MARCUS: Yes, and I was involved with the CDC Foundation, which is very important. It's a foundation that was formed by Congress, allowed by Congress, where the CDC Foundation is allowed to go out and collect money and do the things faster, more for the CDC that they couldn't do for themselves. And here is a perfect example. Six months -- it's six months after the anthrax scare...
KAGAN: Right.
MARCUS: ... they still don't have an emergency response center. And when the thing -- and I look around here and I see the equipment that you have here. It's extraordinary. They don't have that at CDC, and here they are dealing with health and welfare of people, fighting diseases literally all over the world, and it's not just anthrax. There are diseases all over the world.
KAGAN: So specifically, what is some of the stuff that your money is going to buy?
MARCUS: We are going to buy satellite phones, secure satellite phones. We are going to have global positioning things. We are going to have monitors, so that they can be hooked into the rest of the world from anywhere in the world that this team can get together and respond intelligently. People like -- you see something like this from symbol and lease point, where they are going to be able to...
KAGAN: Let's hold it out this way, so people can see.
MARCUS: Yes.
KAGAN: What does this do?
MARCUS: Well, they are going to be able to identify diseases, anthrax samples, know where it came from, identify it, so that they -- because basically what they do is investigations to try to figure out why it came, where it came, how it came and then figure out how to stop it. So there's a lot of things that are happening with the CDC Foundation, and you know, we just have to be prepared better.
September 11 was a terrible thing for all of us, and this is a case of the CDC for many years has been a stepchild of the Congress of the United States, and we have lots of people now that have awakened. They understand that the CDC needs to be better supported. We have a group of people that have gone to Congress and tried to get more money for the CDC.
KAGAN: And you are saying why wait? You are putting your money where your mouth is right now.
MARCUS: Well, it's six months, and we can't wait. If something happened tomorrow, what will we do.
KAGAN: And you would challenge other corporations and other lucky individuals to do the same?
MARCUS: Well, we need -- there are corporations, there are philanthropies, there are people that need to help, and they can do it through the CDC Foundation, and they can get to it by CDCFounddation.org and offer their help. We are willing to accept anything from anybody. As a private citizen, all of us should be concerned, and I think that there are many people out there that should be concerned as well.
KAGAN: So your time on the board, the CDC board is coming to a close. Your cohort, Arthur Blank, is trying to save an equally desperate cause, the Atlantic Falcons. You guys take on some tough projects. What's next for you?
MARCUS: Not as difficult as the terrorists, I might say. There are lots of issues that I am working on, health and welfare, basically a lot of things that we are doing that area. You know, we are working on the aquarium. We are trying to build...
KAGAN: That's right. So you're going to try and bring it to Atlanta.
MARCUS: We are trying to build an aquarium here in Atlanta, and we are very excited about that prospect, and lots of things. And you know, we are fortunate that Home Depot has given us the wherewithal.
KAGAN: Very good. Well, a busy man. We are glad you made some time for us.
MARCUS: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Bernie Marcus making a huge donations to the CDC -- thanks for stopping by.
MARCUS: Thank you.
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
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