Red Cross celebrates Red Cross month in March

Red Cross Disaster and Recruitment volunteer, Dustin Wisnasky, said, “I volunteer to be the light in a scene of dark time … to be the positive during a negative moment … and to bring help to those in need.”

In March, the American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas is honoring the people who make its mission possible every day during its annual Red Cross Month celebration — a national tradition started nearly 80 years ago when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first national Red Cross Month proclamation recognizing those who give back through the American Red Cross. Each U.S. president has issued a proclamation ever since.

“When emergencies strike, our community rallies together to help families and individuals when it matters most,” said Pete Wyatt, regional executive of the Missouri Arkansas Region. “We honor this dedication during our Red Cross Month celebration, and we invite everyone to turn their compassion into action by donating, volunteering, giving blood or taking a lifesaving skills course.”

During the past fiscal year, July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, the American Red Cross of Missouri Arkansas:

• Responded to over 1,800 disasters, helping nearly 6,400 people with Red Cross emergency assistance.

• Nearly 1,500 Missouri Arkansas Region volunteers installed over 1,300 free smoke alarms, making nearly 3,000 homes safer.

• Provided close to 14,000 case services to support service members, veterans and their families facing emergencies.

• Trained over 58,000 individuals in first aid and other lifesaving skills to response quickly in a crisis.

• Collected nearly 198,000 units of blood and platelets to provide patients with lifesaving blood.

Join Red Cross Month by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation, give blood, become a volunteer or take a class in lifesaving skills, such as first aid and CPR. On March 23, individuals can also join the annual Red Cross Giving Day campaign by donating at redcross.org/givingday to help provide shelter, food, relief items, emotional support and other assistance for people affected by disasters big and small.

The Red Cross blood supply remains incredibly vulnerable — especially as doctors begin to resume elective surgeries previously delayed by omicron. It’s critical that individuals schedule a blood or platelet donation immediately to help ensure patients get the care they need as soon as possible. To make an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org, call 1-800RED CROSS or download the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

As a thank-you, all those who come to give March 1-31 will receive a $10 e-gift card, thanks to Fanatics. Plus, those who come to donate in March will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2022 MLB® AllStar Game® in Los Angeles, California.

To find a blood drive near you, visit redcrossblood.org