RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — NBTY Inc. has donated $500,000 of Nature’s Bounty vitamins and supplements and Balance Bar nutrition bars to aid the relief effort for the devastating earthquake in Nepal.

“As a global leader in the wellness industry, we at NBTY recognize our compelling corporate responsibility to do whatever we can to help alleviate some of the suffering being experienced by the people impacted by this horrific event,” stated Andrea Staub, vice president of communications and corporate social responsibility at NBTY. “We wish the people of Nepal solace and strength as they begin the enormous task of rebuilding their lives and their country.”

The donation was made through the Feed The Children organization. NBTY said it also has made a monetary contribution to assist in the Nepal earthquake relief efforts.

“Feed the Children, on behalf of our local disaster response partners around the world, is grateful for the generous support of long-time donor NBTY,” commented Matt Panos, chief development officer for Feed the Children. “Their commitment to donate both gifts-in-kind and cash will provide much-needed relief and aid in the nutritional health and well-being of those impacted by disasters.

“This type of contribution — cash along with health, wellness and nutritional products — are crucial forms of assistance to communities impacted by natural disasters,” Panos added. “We’re extremely thankful that NBTY is answering the call through this significant donation, and Feed the Children will work with our partners to put these valuable resources to use.”

The strong earthquake, which struck Nepal on April 25 and measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, has killed more than 6,000 people and injured over twice as many. The quake also set off avalanches on Mount Everest, killing at least 19, and in the Langtang valley, where 250 are missing. Casualties have also been reported in adjoining areas in India, China and Bangladesh.