Red Cross Introduces Lifesaver Community Awards and Recognizes Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company and Francis Howell School District 
St. Louis Area Chapter expands Lifesaver Awards program to honor partners for preparedness efforts

Steve Shepley of Enterprise Rent-A-Car accepts the American Red Cross Lifesaver Community Award from Red Cross Celebration Team member, Mary Jo Blackwood.

Janet Stiglich and Renee Schuster of Francis Howell School District accept the American Red Cross Lifesaver Community Award. The Red Cross recognized the district for training employees and students in First Aid, CPR and AEDs, hosting blood drives and placing 25 AEDs throughout its facilities.

St. Louis, Thursday, March 29, 2007 - The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter introduced its Lifesaver Community Awards program on Thursday during National Red Cross Month (March) by recognizing Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company and Francis Howell School District. The new program is an expansion of the American Red Cross Lifesaver Awards and is designed to honor corporations, municipalities and civic organizations for contributing to a safer community environment. Award criteria includes utilizing Red Cross health and safety training for at least three years, training employees in CPR and First Aid on a regular basis, placing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) onsite, and conducting regular Red Cross blood drives.

During onsite award presentations on Thursday, Enterprise and Francis Howell were the first two community partners to be recognized with a Lifesaver Community Award. A Red Cross Celebration Team, comprised of volunteers and staff, took part in both recognition events to celebrate the commitment demonstrated by Enterprise and Francis Howell to help their employees and the greater community to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

"Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company and Francis Howell School District have set a terrific example, and the Red Cross hopes others in the community will follow their lead," said Joseph C. White, CEO of the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter. "By preparing their staff to respond during an emergency situation while also encouraging the public to become regular blood donors, these partners are saving lives and creating a safer community for all. Through the Lifesaver Community Awards program, the Red Cross will continue to highlight the outstanding preparedness efforts of our community partners."

Preparedness efforts at Enterprise and Francis Howell include the following:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company

• Trained 300 employees in CPR, First Aid and AEDs over the past three years.
• Placed 10 AEDs in Enterprise facilities throughout the metropolitan area and trained staff in proper use.
• Hosts blood drives at six different Enterprise locations multiple times each year.

Francis Howell School District

• Trains more than 300 employees annually in CPR, First Aid and AEDs.
• Trains all incoming freshman students in CPR.
• Maintains seven employees as instructors to present Red Cross training throughout district.
• Placed 25 AEDs throughout district facilities (one of the first school districts in the region to have an AED in every educational building) and annually trains all principals, assistant principals and athletic trainers to use them.
• Hosts blood drives at elementary, middle and high school locations multiple times each year.

About the Red Cross Lifesaver Program:
The Lifesaver Award Program is designed to inspire others to get trained in First Aid and CPR by recognizing local citizens who prepared themselves to respond in an emergency situation. Last year, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter trained more than 85,000 people locally in CPR and First Aid, including more than 15,000 in the use of AEDs. Since 1984, the Red Cross Lifesaver Program has honored more than 300 St. Louis heroes. The program supports the Red Cross mission to help our communities prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.

In 2007, the St. Louis Area Chapter expanded the Lifesaver Award program to include the Lifesaver Community Awards. The expanded program honors corporations, municipalities, and civic organizations for contributing to a safer community environment by reaching employees with lifesaving First Aid and CPR training and hosting regular blood drives.

For More Information:
To learn more about the Lifesaver Community Awards or the programs and services provided by the American Red Cross, please contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.

About the American Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region:
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian, non-profit organization founded in 1881. The Red Cross collects almost half of the nation's blood supply. The Missouri-Illinois Region annually distributes over 500,000 blood products to patients in need. The Region's headquarters and National Testing Lab are located in St. Louis and currently stands ready to serve over 120 hospitals in 122 counties and operates four distribution centers. The Red Cross relies on the generosity of volunteer blood donors to maintain a safe and adequate blood supply all year long. To find out more about the American Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region, please call 1-800 GIVE LIFE (448.3543), or log onto www.americanredcrossblood.org.

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 90 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 410,000 times each year. The Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors 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, a United Way agency, 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. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.

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