Cross Blog

Category: News

Local students make flowers to raise money for the Red Cross

Monday, June 15, 2009

A few dozen kindergartners from Myers Park Traditional Elementary School fidgeted in their seats, raising their hands to ask a question or playing with the handmade paper-flower crowns atop their heads. The children were eager to learn more about the American Red Cross, the nonprofit for which they’d recently raised $2,000.

“Who do firefighters rescue first, pets or humans?” one young student asked Dan Ogburn, a representative from the Red Cross.

“What is a paramedic?” asked another.

“How long does it take you to get to work?” came a third question.

These students are part of Irma Boyd’s class. Boyd has organized an annual fundraiser called the “Flower Fun Store” for the Red Cross for the past 18 years. Over the years, her efforts have brought in more than $20,000 for the Greater Carolinas Chapter.

“Students and their parents make paper flowers and then sell them at a booth at the school,” Boyd explained. The flowers, bursting with color, are the size of basketballs, and the students enjoy showing them off to visitors. “The kids also learn a bit about mathematics and inventory management through the project.”

On June 4, Ogburn visited the Myers Park school to teach the students about how the money they raised will be put to good use through the Red Cross.

“This money is going to help people right here in our community,” he told them. “Unfortunately, sometimes there are houses that catch on fire. And because of your donation, the Red Cross is going to be there to help the families that live in those houses.”

Boyd is very familiar with Red Cross services. In fact, it’s the reason she started the fundraiser. An earthquake in the early 1970s displaced Boyd and her family from their home. Red Cross Disaster Services was there to help. Later, the Red Cross was able to provide emergency communication between her family in the U.S. and her brother, who was serving in the military overseas.

Boyd wanted to do something to give back to the organization that had been there for her family during troubling times.

She began by showing her students clips of people who have been affected by major disasters. The students said they wanted to help, and came up with suggestions such as giving clothes or food, while the other students suggested donating money. And thus, the idea for the “Flower Fun Store” was born.

During the project, students learn about what the American Red Cross does as well as some key safety tips. During Ogburn’s visit, one of the young students reminded her class that “we should use the back of our hand during the fire to check the door knob.”

According to Boyd, this initiative will not only help the students academically but will also help them realize the importance of helping others.

Boyd noted other classes in the school started doing activities to help other organizations after seeing the success of the “Flower Fun Store.” For example, the first-graders at Myers Park collected 508 pounds of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank’s Backpack Program. Second-graders organized a drive for new or gently-used shoes for Soles-4-Souls, an organization created after the Hurricane Katrina.

Boyd said in addition to the “Flower Fun Store” the kindergarten class also takes up the “Reading for the Red Cross” in which the children collected donations for the amount of time spent reading or being read to for one week. Greta Davis co-chaired the effor for this initiative, which has raised about $1,000 for the Red Cross.

“It’s great to see young people such as these students realize the importance of helping their neighbors,” Ogburn said. “The Red Cross is truly grateful for everything Mrs. Boyd and her class do.”

Assistance League donates much-needed backpacks for children

Monday, June 01, 2009

Pictured (from left) are John White, Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteer; Rick Schou, Red Cross Emergency Services Director; Wendy Way, Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteer; Renee Reese and Laura Royster, who are both with the Assistance League.

The Assistance League of Charlotte donated backpacks filled with school supplies to the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross. The donation came as part of the League’s “Operation Bookbag,” in which they provide the bags for children whose families have been victims of home fires and other disasters.

Each year, the League donates these packs to the Red Cross to distribute them to local school-aged children. Often, when a family is displaced, children lose their school supplies. Having these packs enables them to get back into school quickly.

The presentation was good timing, since the chapter recently ran completely out of these backpacks.

“We’re so thankful to have partner agencies like the Assistance League of Charlotte,” said Rick Schou, director of Emergency Services for the Greater Carolinas Chapter. “These packs are going to help local children return to a semblance of normalcy after being uprooted from their homes.”

The Assistance Leauge of Charlotte is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families through community-based philanthropic projects. To learn more about them, visit charlotte.assistanceleague.org.

Thank you!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Red Cross ChatThanks to each of you for supporting the Red Cross with your votes during the Bullseye Gives campaign. Over two weeks you all voted for Red Cross more than 75,000 times, which means you earned $793,942.

This donation will support all of our services. Did you know that every 24 hours:

• Red Cross volunteers help 200 families who lost everything in a house fire or other disaster
  
• The Red Cross connects deployed service members with their families 475 times
  
• 19,000 people outside the United States receive urgent care from the Red Cross following a disaster
  
• 21,000 people receive a blood transfusion from a Red Cross donor
  
• 43,000 people receive life-saving Red Cross health, safety and preparedness training
  
• 290,000 children receive a measles vaccination from the Red Cross and its partners

  Your votes will help us make this incredible impact on the world every day. Thank you, and stay involved!

  Posted in: News | Comment

  AllState donates $12,500 to the Red Cross

  Tuesday, May 26, 2009

  AllState recently donated $12,500 to the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross, helping to close a critical gap in disaster preparedness.

  The money AllState donated:
  

  
  
  • Will fund training for advanced training and supervisory volunteers;
    
  • Provided $7,500 in assistance for residents affected by a recent 20-unit apartment fire; and
    
  • Provide 150 flood clean-up kits.
  
  Upon presenting the check to Board Chairman Mike Rash, AllState agent Jason Efland said, “We know that for disasters big and small, you guys are there.”

  Rash noted that the funds come at a time when the Red Cross needs it.

  “We appreciate your generosity and want you to know that the money will help people right here in our communities,” Rash said.
  

  Posted in: News | Comment

  Students’ posters raise Red Cross awareness

  Friday, May 08, 2009

  Written by students from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
  In March, a class from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools held a poster contest to raise awareness about the Red Cross prior to a student collection fundraiser.

  The grand prize - a Red Cross book bag we stuffed full of treats, games, books and school supplies - was a great incentive and generated quite a response from our student body. The photos of the prize winners represent a small fraction of the entries we received. Our panel of three judges, our art teacher, media specialist and a classroom teacher had a difficult time choosing the best - there were so many creative, artistic entries!
  
  Student Ariany said, “It made me feel good to make a poster so people will understand that others need to help. One person can only do so much, but a large group like the Red Cross can help a lot of people. I wish people were more generous.”
  
  Dalton said, “I chose to make a poster not just for the prizes, but I also wanted to help people who have problems.”
  
  Fernando said, “I felt happy to make the poster, and I did my best work on it, for people who need help.”
  
  Sara said, “I entered the contest for two reasons: only 2 percent was for the prizes the other 98 percent was I really wanted to do something to help people.”

  Sara was our most productive entrant; she was the first to turn one in the day we announced our contest then she continued to turn in multiple entries (a total of 12)!

  Pictured are some of the students with their posters.

  
  

  Posted in: News,Posted in: Volunteer | Comment

  Board Chairman Mike Rash asked to serve on National Leadership Council

  Tuesday, March 31, 2009

  The following message is from Gail McGovern, President and CEO:

  I’m pleased to announce the final selection of National Leadership Council members. The final selections were based on many factors including: geographic diversity, Regional versus Community Chapters, nominee’s time with the organization and other leadership experience. I also wanted to insure that there was representation from each of the newly formed Chapter Network Divisions as well as a mix of current and former Chapter Board Chairs.

  This group of high-level advisers will provide me and the senior management team with insight and advice, bringing their diverse experience and tremendous success in their respective fields. They will also serve as ambassadors in the field and be available to all volunteer leaders to insure that everyone continues to have a voice as we move forward with One Red Cross. 

  It is a pleasure to share with you the list of members of the newly formed National Leadership Council:

  Michael Rash, Greater Carolinas Chapter, Charlotte, NC
  Susan Atherton, American Red Cross Bay Area, San Francisco, CA
  Henry Bayshore, Dallas Area Chapter, Dallas, TX
  Mary Ann Conrad, Roanoke Valley Chapter, Roanoke, VA
  Timothy Deane, St Croix Valley Chapter, Bayport, MN
  Kellie Hitchey, Greater Somerset County Chapter, Somerville, NJ
  Timothy Hughes, Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter, Atlanta, GA
  Rex Linder, Central Illinois Chapter, Peoria, IL
  Mary Dee Martoche, Greater Buffalo Chapter, Buffalo, NY
  Stephen McIntosh, Anacortes-San Juan Islands Chapter, Anacortes, WA
  Ira Millstein, American Red Cross in Greater New York, New York, NY
  Tammy Moore, Service to the Armed Forces, Washington, DC
  Robert Proctor, Mid-Michigan Chapter, Lansing, MI
  Edgar Smith, Cincinnati Area Chapter, Cincinnati, OH
  Samuel Thumma, The Grand Canyon Chapter, Phoenix, AZ
  James (Jay) Young, Southeast Louisiana Chapter, New Orleans, LA
  Pamela Farr, Office of the National Chair of Volunteers, Washington, DC (ex-officio)

  For more about Mike Rash, click here.

  Posted in: News | Comment
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