Corning Optical Communications LLC, part of Corning Incorporated’s (NYSE:GLW) Telecommunications segment, has made a donation of $40,000 to charity: water, a non-profit organization that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

The donation is an extension of gratitude to Corning Optical Communications’ global customers during this holiday season.   

Corning’s $40,000 contribution is going entirely to charity: water’s purchase of a drilling rig and equipment, which can produce up to 80 wells a year, enough to provide clean water to 40,000 people. The drilling rig will include a plaque recognizing Corning’s donation.

The charity partners with organizations to implement clean water solutions and provide maintenance and hygiene training to communities. Safe drinking water is often just 100 feet to 300 feet underground and easily accessible with drilling equipment.  On average, a water project can provide clean, safe drinking water for a community of 250 people. Other solutions include well rehabilitations, spring protections, rainwater catchment systems and Biosand filters. Since its inception in September 2006, charity: water has funded 4,282 clean water projects in 19 countries, serving over 2 million people.

“On behalf of Corning, I commend charity: water for their impressive contributions to communities around the world. We're very proud to be a part of this great effort for the second year in a row,” Corning Optical Communications’ President and CEO Clark Kinlin said. “Knowing these water solutions will dramatically improve living conditions for so many people worldwide is a comfort during this holiday season, and a very special way of honoring our customers. Our customers have also told us how much this gift means to them.”

“We’re honored to receive Corning’s generous contribution and excited by their commitment to our mission to bring clean and safe drinking water to the nearly one billion people currently living without it,” said Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water.

To learn more about charity: water and the difference access to clean and safe drinking water can make for a single life and an entire community, visit www.charitywater.org. Corning Optical Communications’ charity: water donation this year is being tracked online at http://mycharitywater.org/corning.

For additional information about Corning Optical Communications, contact a customer service representative at 1-800-743-2675, toll free in the United States, or (+1) 828-901-5000, international, or visit the Web site at www.corning.com/opcomm.

About Corning Incorporated
Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 160 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Our products include glass substrates for LCD televisions, computer monitors and laptops; ceramic substrates and filters for mobile emission control systems; optical fiber, cable, hardware & equipment for telecommunications networks; optical biosensors for drug discovery; and other advanced optics and specialty glass solutions for a number of industries including semiconductor, aerospace, defense, astronomy and metrology.