Press

St. Louis, Thursday, May 11, 2006 – This year, the American Red Cross celebrates 125 years of service – a special anniversary for all Americans. Looking back over the last 125 years of U.S. history since Clara Barton founded the organization on May 21, 1881, a constant is evident – the American Red Cross has been at the forefront of every single major event and disaster, providing aid and comfort that includes emergency food, clothing, shelter and mental health counseling to those in need.

For 125 years, guided by its mission to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies, the Red Cross has helped our nation through some of its most challenging times. It galvanized the public in compassionate response through two World Wars, the Influenza Epidemic of 1918 and the Great Depression. In the wake of virtually every natural disaster from the Johnstown Flood to the recent string of devastating hurricanes, the Red Cross was there. Along the way, the Red Cross has pioneered first aid and water safety training, blood banking and disaster preparedness, saving many lives in the process.

About Local Red Cross Programs and Services:
Right here at home, the St. Louis Area Chapter was founded in 1917 and has a proud history of serving people throughout the metropolitan area in Missouri and Illinois. The Chapter, a United Way agency, touched the community more than 407,000 times last year. This outreach through community support services included the training of more than 84,000 residents in first aid and CPR, nearly 61,000 individuals in community disaster education workshops and preparedness drills, and more than 36,000 people in Learn-to-Swim programs and lifeguard certification.

In addition, last year more than 19,000 local residents participated in community education programs focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention, more than 6,000 military personnel and families were assisted through Armed Forces Emergency Services, and 4,300 people were educated in the international services of the Red Cross movement worldwide. Finally, more than 3,200 blood drives were staffed by dedicated Red Cross volunteers, and more than 1,000 families received emergency assistance from Red Cross Disaster Action Teams and caseworkers after losing their homes to fire.

About the Importance of Volunteers:
“This is such a significant year in the history of the American Red Cross and while much has changed throughout the last 125 years of service to this great country, one thing remains constant: volunteers are the heart of who we are, what we do and what we stand for,” said Joseph C. White, CEO of the St. Louis Area Chapter. “I am amazed and inspired by the powerful imprint that Red Cross volunteers have left, and continue to leave, on all those who depend on their service.”

Led by the work of volunteers, American Red Cross chapters across the nation responded to more than 70,000 disasters last year – more than any year in the history of the organization. More than 233,000 Americans gave up weeks, and sometimes months, volunteering for the Red Cross during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. As we look back on the devastating natural disasters of 2005, including the tsunami, hurricanes, earthquakes, house fires and other emergencies, we are reminded that Red Cross volunteers led the way in providing help and hope to those in need, just as they do every year.

The essential role of volunteers remains evident, and their steadfast support throughout the 125 year-history of the American Red Cross has enabled the organization to be there in a time of need. As a volunteer, Clara Barton led the Red Cross for more than 20 years, setting the standard for voluntary service that continues through the present. Today, more than 95% of all Red Cross workers are volunteers. That means that the smiling faces that provide comfort after a fire, teach nearly 15 million people nationwide how to save a life using skills that range from CPR to water safety, or deliver an urgent message to a family member in the military, are likely volunteer citizens giving generously of their time, energy and compassionate spirit.

Call to Action:
The 125th anniversary of the founding of the American Red Cross provides an opportunity to refocus attention on the many opportunities for involvement in the organization through community service. In addition, the Red Cross continues to encourage the public to embrace the call to make emergency preparedness a personal priority. The Red Cross remains actively involved in educating the public regarding five steps that we can all take to prepare for the unexpected and be as safe as possible:

1. Make an emergency plan
2. Assemble a disaster supplies kit
3. Receive training in first aid and CPR
4. Volunteer in the community
5. Give the gift of life through regular blood donation

For More Information:
To learn more about the 125th anniversary of the American Red Cross, volunteer opportunities, emergency preparedness or programs and services available in St. Louis, please call the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or log on to www.redcrossstl.org.

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About the American National Red Cross:
The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country and across the world—in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new—the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through more than 800 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of more than 180 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter provides emergency and preparedness assistance more than 407,000 times each year. The Red Cross depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and 100 staff to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter is a United Way agency and provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois.

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