Press

5/16/2007 - St. Louis Area Chapter Presents Red Cross Ready Award to Lawson Elementary, Mann Elementary and Queen of All Saints

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter recently presented the Red Cross Ready Award to Lawson Elementary School (Hazelwood School District), Mann Elementary School (St. Louis Public School District), and Queen of All Saints School for reaching students, faculty, staff and parents with important Red Cross safety information during the 2006-2007 school year. In these three schools alone, the Red Cross' message has reached nearly 1,500 students of all ages regarding the importance of healthy nutrition and preparing for a variety of emergency situations.

5/15/2007 - American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter Announces a $20,000 Gift from Energizer in Support of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter is the recipient of a $20,000 gift from Energizer in support of disaster preparedness and emergency response. The mission of the Red Cross is to provide relief to victims of disasters and to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Energizer's donation to the St. Louis Area Chapter directly supports this lifesaving mission by providing $10,000 in funding for Community Disaster Education presentations and an additional $10,000 in product for response to local emergencies.

5/10/2007 - Red Cross Youth Services Volunteers and AmeriCorps Members Honored with the President's Volunteer Service Award

In recognition of their service to the community, 23 American Red Cross Youth Services volunteers and AmeriCorps members have been honored with the President's Volunteer Service Award. Honorees will receive a service pin and a congratulatory note from President Bush. The President's Volunteer Service Award is presented as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

5/9/2007 - American Red Cross Honors Volunteers at Scott Air Force Base

The American Red Cross Scott Air Force Base Service Center recently honored volunteers during a recognition luncheon. Special guests at the ceremony included Col. Tamara Rank, 375th Airlift Wing Deputy Commander; Col. Bradley Spacy, 375th Mission Support Group Commander; Lt. Col. Pete Peters, 375th Medical Support Group Commander; and Vivian M. Luce, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter. Award recipients included Birgitt Kaylor, Melody Dock, Barbara Litman, Helen Whicher, and Nancy Howell.

5/9/2007 - American Red Cross to Deploy Five Additional Disaster Relief Workers to Kansas in Aftermath of Tornado Devastation

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter will deploy an additional five disaster relief workers to Kansas on Wednesday. Relief workers will help with client casework and mental health counseling in the aftermath of the devastating tornado that destroyed the town of Greensburg last Friday. Wednesday's deployment brings the total number of local workers responding to the Kansas storm to seven.

5/7/2007 - American Red Cross Joins Grainger and Anheuser-Busch to Recruit Corporate Partners for Local Disaster Relief

During a press conference on Saturday, May 5, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter, Grainger and Anheuser-Busch introduced Ready When the Time Comes, a major new partnership designed to recruit corporate employees in St. Louis to serve as Red Cross volunteers during a large-scale, local disaster. Led by Grainger, the National Founding Sponsor of Ready When the Time Comes and Anheuser-Busch, the Local Lead Sponsor, local corporations participated in a full-scale shelter drill immediately following Saturday's announcement at St. Raphael the Archangel School - one of 600 local facilities designated as a potential Red Cross shelter during times of disaster.

5/7/2007 - American Red Cross to Deploy Two Local Volunteers to Kansas in Aftermath of Devastating Tornado

In response to the devastating tornado that struck southwestern Kansas on Friday night and destroyed most of the town of Greensburg, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter will deploy two local volunteers on Monday to help in the relief effort - Judy Alferman of Kirkwood and Sandy Soll of St. Louis. Both Judy and Sandy specialize in support for staffing and logistics and join a major Red Cross disaster relief effort. In the immediate aftermath of the severe weather in Kansas, the American Red Cross opened three emergency shelters to provide refuge for more than 400 disaster victims. In addition, emergency response vehicles were deployed to deliver supplies into the most severely impacted areas.

5/3/2007 - American Red Cross Disaster Action Team Responds to Multi-Unit Apartment Fire on Shady Creek Lane in Creve Coeur

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter dispatched a Disaster Action Team to a multi-unit apartment fire in the 12,000-block of Shady Creek Lane in Creve Coeur on Thursday afternoon. Red Cross volunteers provided assistance on the scene and caseworkers are supporting the recovery effort of 14 people displaced by the fire (12 adults and two children from seven families).

5/2/2007 - Mayor Robert G. Lowery, Sr., the City of Florissant and the American Red Cross Team Up to Host Community Heroes Day

The City of Florissant and the American Red Cross will once again host Community Heroes Day on Saturday, May 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the James J. Eagan Center in Florissant. The public is invited to participate in this second-annual event. They can become a hero by taking two steps: 1. donate blood and/or 2. learn CPR.

5/2/2007 - If Disaster Strikes St. Louis, Local Volunteers will be Ready When the Time Comes

As part of the new Ready When the Time Comes program, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter has joined Grainger and Anheuser-Busch to recruit and train corporate partners as Red Cross volunteers in St. Louis before a disaster strikes the metropolitan area. Ready When the Time Comes helps the Red Cross to quickly mobilize volunteers for deployment in the event of a large-scale local disaster. Immediately following a press conference to announce this new partnership, veteran Red Cross volunteers will join newly trained corporate employees for a Red Cross shelter simulation designed to cover all areas of emergency service. More than 100 people from the Red Cross, Grainger (National Founding Sponsor) and Anheuser-Busch (Local Lead Sponsor) will participate in this disaster drill.

4/30/2007 - Red Cross Presents Lifesaver Community Award to the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 562

During an onsite award presentation on Saturday, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter presented its new Lifesaver Community Award to the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 562. A Red Cross Celebration Team, comprised of volunteers and staff, took part in the recognition event to celebrate the outstanding commitment of the Local 562 in helping its members, other constituents and the greater community to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. The Lifesaver Community Award is an expansion of the Red Cross Lifesaver Program and is designed to honor corporations, municipalities and civic organizations for 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.

4/30/2007 - American Red Cross Volunteer from South St. Louis County Receives National Lifesaving Award of Merit

On Saturday, the St. Louis Area Chapter presented the Lifesaving Award of Merit from the American National Red Cross to local Red Cross volunteer Jackie Rahm of South St. Louis County, MO. The award honors Rahm, a Red Cross volunteer Health and Safety instructor, for performing CPR for nearly seven minutes to save the life of her husband, Bob. The Lifesaving Award of Merit is signed by President George W. Bush and is bestowed upon an individual for utilizing Red Cross training.

4/19/2007 - St. Louis Area Chapter Presents Red Cross Ready Award to Ostmann Elementary in Ft. Zumwalt School District

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter presented the Red Cross Ready Award this week to Ostmann Elementary School in the Ft. Zumwalt School District for embracing emergency preparedness and reaching students, faculty, staff and parents with important Red Cross safety information during the 2006-2007 school year. Over the course of the year, the Red Cross has delivered presentations highlighting disaster preparedness, including the importance of a disaster supply kit and an emergency plan, to more than 200 students of all ages.

4/18/2007 - Red Cross Disaster Action Team Responds to House Fire in 4900-Block of Northland Place and Assists 15 People

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter dispatched a Disaster Action Team to a house fire in the 4900-block of Northland Place in St. Louis on Wednesday afternoon. Red Cross volunteers provided assistance on the scene and caseworkers are supporting the recovery effort of 15 people (two adults and their 13 children) displaced by the fire.

4/14/2007 - Worldwide Measles Initiative Will Be Focus of Lecture by Co-Developer of Measles Vaccine

Dr. Samuel L. Katz, co-developer of the measles virus vaccine, will discuss his unique perspective on the Measles Initiative with physicians from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Wednesday, April 18, at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. Dr. Katz will be available for media interviews following the lecture. Dr. Katz helped shape one of the essential ideas of our time: that immunization is a fundamental human right. His work today with vaccines and pediatric AIDS continues to break ground in modern medicine. Measles vaccines cost less than $1 each, and thanks to the Measles Initiative, a fundraising and vaccination effort led by the American Red Cross and other partners, more than 1.2 million lives have been saved since 2001.

4/9/2007 - Red Cross Youth Volunteers Train Peers in First Aid and CPR

During a recent CPR Saturday event hosted by the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter, 12 Red Cross YouthCorps members received free training and certification in CPR and First Aid. The group participated in lifesaving training led by two of their peers - Ariana Mooradian (Kirkwood, MO) and Amit Shintre (Maryland Heights, MO). Ariana and Amit are high school juniors at MICDS and Parkway North. During their holiday break from school in December of 2006, both students completed extensive training (24 hours over three days) to become Red Cross volunteer instructors. Prior to their first experience as lead instructors during the recent CPR Saturday event, Ariana and Amit further developed their training/leadership skills by serving as assistant instructors during other CPR and First Aid courses.

4/4/2007 - St. Louis Area Chapter Presents Red Cross Ready Award to Seven Holy Founders Catholic School

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter presented the Red Cross Ready Award this week to Seven Holy Founders Catholic School for embracing emergency preparedness and reaching students, faculty, staff and parents with important Red Cross safety information during the 2006-2007 school year. Over the course of the year, the Red Cross has delivered presentations highlighting the importance of disaster preparedness and healthy nutrition to more than 150 students of all ages. In addition, the Red Cross will teach basic First Aid skills during the month of May.

3/29/2007 - Red Cross Introduces Lifesaver Community Awards and Recognizes Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company and Francis Howell School District

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter introduced its Lifesaver Community Awards program on Thursday, March 29 during National Red Cross Month 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.

3/28/2007 - American Red Cross Metro East Service Center to Host Training Event for More Than 150 Girl Scouts

The American Red Cross Metro East Service Center will host an all-day training event on Saturday, March 31 for more than 150 Girl Scouts from the River Bluffs Council to focus on the importance of emergency preparedness. Girl Scout participants will rotate through eight different 30-minute courses, including a question and answer session designed to recap the day's curriculum. At the conclusion of the event, the Girl Scouts will complete the requirements for their First Aid Badge. Ten Red Cross instructors will lead training sessions throughout the day. The Red Cross courses will focus on basic First Aid skills, how to build your own Disaster Supply Kit and First Aid Kit, general safety tips, and pandemic flu awareness and prevention. In addition, local police officers and firefighters will be available for safety demonstrations.