Red Cross Asks People to Join Us During Red Cross Month

March is Red Cross Month, and the American Red Cross is asking people to join them in helping those in need by volunteering their time, making a donation, taking a class, or giving blood.

“When someone provides a hot meal to a disaster victim, gives blood, takes a first aid class, or helps someone in the military, they join the Red Cross,” said Lynne Gump, Executive Director. “We want to say ‘thank you’ to all who support us. That support enables us to provide help and hope to those who need our assistance.”

For nearly 100 years, U.S. Presidents have called on people to support the American Red Cross and its humanitarian mission. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first to proclaim March as Red Cross Month in 1943. Since that time, President Obama and every president since have issued proclamations designating March as Red Cross Month.

The Red Cross has been helping people for 130 years, responding to disasters, assisting members of the military, teaching lifesaving skills, and serving as one of the largest blood suppliers in the United States.
Nationally, the Red Cross responds to an average of nearly 200 disasters every day. The organization provides a round-the-clock link between those in the military and their families, and supplies blood and blood products to approximately 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country.

Just think, in December alone, the Darke County Red Cross responded to five families who had lost everything, due to fire, within a two-week time period. What would have happened to those families if the Red Cross wasn’t ready with funds and trained volunteers and staff to meet their needs?
“We work very diligently to help those in need,” Mary Lane, Chapter Chair, said. “Whether out on a disaster, alongside our troops or in a first aid class, Red Cross workers touch the lives of millions of people every year.”
The Red Cross is not a government agency and relies on donations of time, money and blood to do its work.

“When people join the Red Cross by volunteering, donating blood, taking a course or making a contribution, they enable us to continue our work, both here at home, and around the world,” Gump said. Across our county our leadership volunteers are introducing Darke Countians to the “Jones” families, who have been aided so diligently by the American Red Cross. Asking our community to support the local Red Cross so the American Red Cross can continue to stand ready to supply aid immediately.

The Darke County Chapter has a number of activities planned for Red Cross Month in March, including Save A Life Saturday, March 12th, which will have course offerings in Adult CPR/AED, new and review, Citizen CPR, Teen Leadership and Babysitting. Once again, the Chapter will be hosting it’s annual fundraiser “ A Night of Comedy and Caring” on March 26th . To sign up for classes or find out more information simply call the Darke County Red Cross at 937.548.1002 or visit on the web http://www.darkecounty.redcross.org/.

The Darke County Chapter of the American Red Cross is a participating agency of the Darke County United Way.