You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March, 2008.
Igor Kasyanyuk, a Harlem High School Student, won our button design contest for Rock’n for the Red. He was awarded a brand new laptop donated by American TV & Appliance. See video footage, a picture and the winning design below.
Tony Gasparini & Igor
This button will be used for admission, just $5 and 100% goes directly back into the Rock River community, to Rock’n for the Red Just 21, 2008 at Davis Park in Rockford, Illinois.
Featuring:
Thanks to Thomas S. Ciciura and Prairie Soul Studios for donating their time and expertise to get this momentous project done. Tom has worked with and been mentored by Steven Spielberg, Robert Richardson, Mel Gibson, George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, Michael Mann, and Robert Altman to just name a few.
Tom took our idea from a brainstorming session, a storyboard, and script and made it real.
Thanks to all of the actors and volunteers involved it wouldn’t of been possible without you. Watch it below.
In celebration of March as American Red Cross month, the Rockford IceHogs are teaming up with the Rock River Chapter to raise funds for Rock River Valley-area disaster victims.
The IceHogs are hosting an American Red Cross night against the Chicago Wolves at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28. To help support this cause, you can purchase tickets by clicking this link - we get $4 for each ticket sold (make sure you use the link)!
The money will help provide disaster victims with personal care items, emergency shelter, case management and supportive services.
I hope to see you there! If you attend you will also get to see who wins the brand new laptop for our button design contest as well and our brand new Rock’n for the Red commercial.
If you were 126 years old, chances are there would be a lot of stories about you—and some of them wouldn’t be true! Here are some of the most common myths and legends about the American Red Cross and the services we provide.
Government
Patriotism
The American Red Cross is unpatriotic.
That would be a surprise to the president of the United States, who serves as our honorary chairman!
Like the other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies all over the world, the American Red Cross is required to be neutral. To maintain the confidence of everyone who may need our assistance, we cannot take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.
From time to time, decisions made in an effort to avoid controversies are in themselves controversial—for example, one chapter received criticism for asking that a choral group avoid religious or patriotic musical selections in its performance. Such missteps are the exception.
Ties to U.S. Government
The American Red Cross is an agency of the U.S. government.
The Red Cross is not a government agency. We are a nonprofit humanitarian organization that relies on voluntary contributions—of time, money, and blood—to do our work. The confusion about our status probably arises from the fact that the American Red Cross is chartered by the U.S. Congress to perform certain functions, such as responding to the needs of disaster victims, that are performed solely by the government in many countries.
Among the fundamental principles under which all Red Cross and Red Crescent societies operate are independence, neutrality and impartiality. These principles require that we maintain our autonomy, refrain from political controversy, and provide assistance based on need, without regard to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.
Military Services
Coffee and Donuts
The Red Cross sold coffee and donuts instead of giving them away to military personnel during World War II.
This unfortunate policy came into being because service agencies in Britain helping British military personnel were less well-financed than the American Red Cross. Thus, these agencies were forced to charge British military members for the same items that American service members were getting free from the American Red Cross.
To avoid further embarrassment to the British, who were playing host to thousands of U.S. troops, the U.S. Secretary of War requested that the American Red Cross begin charging American service members for such items as coffee and donuts in its canteens. The Red Cross interpreted this request as a wartime demand and complied so that it could continue aiding U.S. troops. However, the Red Cross sold items at or below cost and never profited a penny from these sales.
Since the end of World War II, the American Red Cross has not charged military personnel—not in the Korean, Vietnam, or Persian Gulf conflicts, for example.
Blood Services
Cost Recovery
The Red Cross shouldn’t charge money for blood given by donors.
A lot of things must happen to your donated blood before it can be given to a patient who needs it. The Red Cross must collect, test, process, store and transport the blood to area hospitals and transfusion centers. Each unit must be tracked carefully along the way. There are significant costs associated with each of these processes, and we must charge hospitals to recover these costs.
Discrimination
Red Cross blood donation policies discriminate against gay people.
It’s important to understand that blood safety is a public health issue, not a social policy issue. The Red Cross is required by law to follow all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and recommendations for the blood industry, including the current deferral of men who have had sex with other men. Along with other members of the blood banking industry, the Red Cross supports a data-based reconsideration of deferral criteria. Read more about blood donor eligibility.
Charles Drew bled to death because a hospital refused to give him a blood transfusion because he was an African American.
This myth has persisted for more than half a century despite efforts by eyewitnesses and Drew family members to set the record straight.
Dr. Drew, the first medical director of the first American Red Cross blood bank and a pioneer in the field of blood plasma preservation and storage, died of injuries sustained in a car accident in 1950. He was taken to Alamance Hospital in North Carolina, where he was treated by three surgeons for an hour and a half before being declared dead. He was not denied treatment or blood transfusions because of his race.
To this day, the American Red Cross continues to celebrate Dr. Drew’s legacy of achievement. The Charles Drew Institute, named in his honor, is the centerpiece of the Red Cross biomedical training system.
Safety
If I donate blood, I could get a disease.
HIV and other transmissible diseases cannot be contracted through blood donations. A sterile needle is used for each donation and discarded after one use.
If I receive a blood transfusion, I’ll get a disease.
The top priority of the American Red Cross is to provide the safest possible blood supply for patients who need blood. There are multiple layers of safety that help protect the blood supply, which include self-deferrals, completion of the blood donation record, health history screening, testing, and post donation information.
Tests for infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1 and HIV-2), human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I and -II), the hepatitis C virus (HCV), West Nile Virus and Chagas’ disease are conducted on each unit of donated blood. The Red Cross also utilizes a technology called nucleic acid testing (NAT) that can detect genetic material of hepatitis C and HIV more quickly and more accurately. In addition, the American Red Cross has the capability to filter red blood cells to reduce leukocytes, or white blood cells, which can cause transfusion complications in patients with weakened immune systems.
September 11
After 9/11, the Red Cross collected so much blood that it had to throw much of it out.
Blood is a perishable commodity, with a shelf life of about 42 days. Typically, between 1 percent and 3 percent of units collected reach their expiration date before they are used. That rate was only slightly higher (5 percent) for blood units collected from people anxious to help after 9/11, including more than a quarter-million people who gave blood for the first time.
In the uncertain days following the terrorist attacks, having a robust supply of blood available seemed prudent. It takes two to three days for blood to be collected, tested and processed, and only blood already on the shelf can be used in the immediate aftermath of an emergency.
Cost Recovery
Blood
The Red Cross shouldn’t charge money for blood given by donors.
A lot of things must happen to your donated blood before it can be given to a patient who needs it. The Red Cross must collect, test, process, store and transport the blood to area hospitals and transfusion centers. Each unit must be tracked carefully along the way. There are significant costs associated with each of these processes, and we must charge hospitals to recover these costs.
Disasters
The Red Cross charges people for services they receive during disasters.
All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, regardless of the type of assistance (sheltering, food, clothing, mental health counseling, etc.) or the size of the disaster. The American Red Cross responds to more than 70,000 disasters every year, and most of them are house fires. Read more about what you can expect from the Red Cross in a disaster.
Disaster Services
Hurricane Katrina
The American Red Cross should have sent its helicopters and boats to help rescue victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The American Red Cross doesn’t have helicopters or boats and does not conduct or participate in search-and-rescue operations. Our job during disasters is to take care of people by offering food, clothing, shelter and comfort, and most of this work is performed by volunteers. Rescues must be conducted by trained emergency personnel. Read more about what you can expect from the Red Cross in a disaster.
The American Red Cross refused to help the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
In any hurricane evacuation, the job of the Red Cross is to care for victims in buildings that are safe from winds and water. When government officials ordered the evacuation of New Orleans, the Red Cross followed that evacuation order and provided shelter to evacuees in safe locations throughout Louisiana and other states. Planning with state and local officials for many years had shown that there were no safe shelter locations within the city of New Orleans.
We were prepared to re-enter New Orleans to provide relief services, but the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness asked that we not send people and vehicles into the city because of their concerns that doing so would disrupt rescue efforts and impede further evacuation efforts. The responsibility for caring for those remaining in New Orleans was assigned to first responders and the National Guard, not the Red Cross. The American Red Cross is not a “first responder” and plays no role in rescue or evacuation.
As soon as evacuees were allowed to return to New Orleans, the Red Cross immediately set up feeding sites, mobile feeding routes and bulk distribution sites in the city. The Red Cross also continued to provide food and shelter and meet other disaster-caused emergency needs of those who could not return home. Read more about our response to the 2005 hurricanes.
September 11
The Red Cross misused money contributed after 9/11.
False. All contributions have been used exclusively to meet the immediate and long-term needs of people directly affected by the September 11 tragedies. Read more about the ways the Red Cross is helping those affected by the tragedies of September 11.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, the then-president of the American Red Cross proposed spending some of the donated funds to prepare for future disasters. When that proposal proved very unpopular, it was abandoned. The Red Cross has since instituted a number of changes to make sure donors are aware of how their contributions will be spent and when the Red Cross has enough contributions to pay for its response to a particular disaster.
Fundraising
Dixie Chicks
The Red Cross turned down a million-dollar donation from the Dixie Chicks.
Untrue. In 2003, following a political controversy that erupted on a London stage during a live performance, the Dixie Chicks’ management approached the American Red Cross and inquired about a promotional partnership for their forthcoming tour. There was no offer for an unrestricted donation to the Red Cross; rather, the “offer” was actually a business proposal.
Prior to the controversy, the Chicks’ management ignored two successive invitations to join the Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. Should the Dixie Chicks ever decide to make an unconditional financial donation to the American Red Cross, we would gladly accept it and put it to work toward our lifesaving mission.
September 11
The Red Cross misused money contributed after 9/11.
False. All contributions have been used exclusively to meet the immediate and long-term needs of people directly affected by the September 11 tragedies. Read more about the ways the Red Cross is helping those affected by the tragedies of September 11.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, the then-president of the American Red Cross proposed spending some of the donated funds to prepare for future disasters. When that proposal proved very unpopular, it was abandoned. The Red Cross has since instituted a number of changes to make sure donors are aware of how their contributions will be spent and when the Red Cross has enough contributions to pay for its response to a particular disaster.
International Services
Guantanamo Prison Visits
Guantanamo detainee visits mean the American Red Cross is anti-American.
The American Red Cross is definitely not anti-American, and it doesn’t visit detainees or prisoners of war, either. Those visits are the unique responsibility of the Switzerland-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a neutral, independent organization whose humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence.
The Geneva Conventions require that all detainees or prisoners of war, without regard to nationality, be visited by the ICRC to help assure the world that their treatment is humane. The ICRC visits almost a half-million detainees and POWs in about 2,000 locations around the world each year. Learn more about the role of the ICRC and the other organizations that make up the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Watch Jessica and Rahil on WTVO’s Daybreak! Click the link below.
Don’t forget to buy your Icehog tickets to support the Red Cross each ticket sold through this link mean we get $4 from each ticket sold!
In celebration of March as American Red Cross month, the Rockford IceHogs are teaming up with the Rock River Chapter to raise funds for Rock River Valley-area disaster victims.
The IceHogs are hosting an American Red Cross night against the Chicago Wolves at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28. To help support this cause, you can purchase tickets by clicking this link - we get $4 for each ticket sold!
The money will help provide disaster victims with personal care items, emergency shelter, case management and supportive services. For the special Red Cross promotional rate to apply, you must purchase tickets by March 17
YOU CAN BUY TICKETS UP UNTIL MARCH 28th!! Click this link to buy online.
I hope to see you there! If you attend you will also get to see who wins the brand new laptop for our button design contest as well and our brand new Rock’n for the Red commercial.
New Members of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet For 2008
- Penn Badgley is a lead character in the hit show “Gossip Girl,” which has enjoyed a cult fan following since its fall debut. He recently appeared in the teen film “John Tucker Must Die,” and stars in the upcoming thriller “The Stepfather,” alongside TV greats Christopher Meloni and Sela Ward.
- Greg Biffle is a two-time NASCAR champion. He won the Busch Series Rookie of the Year honor in 2001, and became the first driver to win both the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series Championships.
- Robinson Cano is a player for the elite New York Yankees. He was among 30 finalists for the 2006 Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the Major League Baseball player who combines outstanding skills on the baseball field with devoted work in the community.
- Lisa Edelstein currently stars in the hit show “House M.D.” and has appeared in numerous award-winning television series, including “Ally McBeal,” “The West Wing,” and “The Practice.”
- Jennie Garth rose to fame as Kelly Taylor on the immensely popular teen series “Beverly Hills, 90210.” She later went on to star in the hit WB show “What I Like About You,” alongside Amanda Bynes. She recently competed on the hit ABC reality series “Dancing with the Stars.”
- Tony Hawk is a world-famous professional skateboarder. He is a 16 time X Games medalist and has also helped to create the popular “Tony Hawk” video games, including “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” and “Tony Hawk’s Underground.”
- Patricia Heaton is best known for her portrayal of Debra Barone on the hit sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which earned multiple Emmy awards and enjoyed a nine season run. She currently stars as newscaster Kelly Carr on the Fox series “Back to You,” with co-star Kelsey Grammer.
- Matt Leinart is NFL star quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. In his college years, he led his team, the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans to numerous victories, and is the USC all-time leader in career touchdown passes and completion percentage. He is a Heisman Trophy winner, a Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl MVP, and was the tenth pick in the 2006 NFL draft.
- Masi Oka currently stars as part of the ensemble “Heroes” cast. His portrayal of Hiro Nakamura has quickly catapulted the show to become one of the most critically acclaimed and watched series on network television. He is set to star in the film “Get Smart” featuring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway.
- Ana Ortiz is currently enjoying success on the smash hit series “Ugly Betty.” She will lend her voice to the animated feature “Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning,” alongside Michael Keaton and fellow Cabinet member Marcia Gay Harden.
- Kal Penn has starred in over twenty films, and is a new cast member on the hit Fox series “House M.D.” He recently had the starring role in the critically acclaimed film “The Namesake,” based on the book of the same name. He can next be seen on the big screen in the follow-up to the hit teen flick “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.”
- Sara Ramirez is best known for her portrayal as Dr. Callie Torres in the smash hit ABC drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Her work on the show has earned her an ALMA nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series, as well as a shared Screen Actors Guild win for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. Sara won the Tony Award for her performance in Mike Nichols production of “Spamalot” on Broadway.
- Judy Reyes currently portrays Nurse Carla Espinosa on the critically acclaimed NBC series “Scrubs.” In 2006 she earned an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series.
- Brittany Snow has experienced success on both the big and small screens. She recently portrayed the snooty ‘Amber von Tussle’ in the Golden Globe-nominated musical “Hairspray.” Additionally, she starred in the Emmy-winning NBC series “American Dreams.” Brittany will next be seen this year starring in the re-imagination of the horror classic, “Prom Night,” as well as Tony Kaye’s next feature “Black Water Transit” alongside Laurence Fishburne and the independent film “Finding Amanda,” opposite Matthew Broderick.
- Iyanla Vansant is an inspirational speaker and five-time New York Times bestselling author. She currently serves as a life coach on the television series “Starting Over.”
Returning Celebrity Cabinet members include: six-year veterans Heidi Klum, Marlee Matlin, Nancy O’Dell, Jane Seymour; five-year veterans Peyton Manning, Jimmie Johnson; four-year veterans Leeza Gibbons, Rascal Flatts; three-year veterans Sara Evans, Patti LaBelle, Julianne Moore, George Foreman; two-year veterans Jackie Chan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marcia Gay Harden, Elisabeth Rohm, Eli Manning, Jimmy Smits, Daddy Yankee, Chayanne, Aisha Tyler, Pierce Brosnan, Amy Grant; one-year veterans Miley Ray Cyrus, Kristen Bell, Pat Green, actor Dwayne Johnson, Dr. Phil McGraw, Raven-Symoné, Niki Taylor, Burney Lamar and Bradley Whitford.
Dave Pattengale, our Director of Emergency Services, talks about what’s going on at the Red Cross on WTVO’s Daybreak. The fire in Rochelle, the disaster relief fund, our Icehog’s night March 28th (we get $4 of every ticket sold through our website) - buy your tickets today to support your local Red Cross and how you can help out!
Photos courtesy Keith Peters, Rochelle Tourism Center
From: Vicki Snyder-Chura
The Ogle Hotel, one of Rochelle’s oldest buildings, was destroyed by fire Monday night, March 10, 2008. It sat on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Main Street. It was a many times remodeled building that was originally, in the 1860’s and 1870’s a mill, then later, a creamery. Most recently, the Ogle Hotel was home to 20 apartments, according to Rochelle Historian Franklin Kruger.
Early reports indicate the fire began in the basement, but because of the age of the structure, quickly climbed to the attic. All of the hotel’s residents at home at the time of the fire escaped without injury.
The Ogle Hotel was the home to families that included a number of children. Three RTHS families are affected by this fire.
The America Red Cross arrived while the hotel was still in flames and assisted 11 families with immediate aide, housing them, filling prescriptions and providing $11,000 in funds for their care.
Red Cross Marketing Director Jason Broaddus said his case management team is on its way to Rochelle this morning to get a comprehensive list of all residents to assist.
Fire Chief Tom McDermott and Broaddus concurred this is the largest fire either organization has dealt with in some time. Broaddus said the Red Cross answers 8-10 fire assistance calls per month, but most are single-family residential fires.
If you’d like to donate to help fund disaster assistance like this please click this link - all proceeds go to Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
The aftermath can be seen below - photos courtesy of Jason Broaddus
Just click the red camera button on the top right-hand side of page to watch the story when you get to WREX’s page. Restaurant Helps Raise Money for Red Cross - WREX Channel 13 Ryan Cummings.
It features Jason Broaddus - Red Cross Marketing/Development Specialist and Stephanie Koch - Culver’s Owner/Operator.
Watch Dr. Willis from this morning on Daybreak!
Don’t forget to eat at Culver’s today - the Red Cross gets 10% of whatever you purchase!!
Craig Culver, Co-founder of Culver’s, about their upcoming Day of Giving. Wednesday March 5th, Culver’s will donate 10% of proceeds to the American Red Cross.
In a tradition dating back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President George W. Bush declared March as Red Cross Month, calling it a time to “honor this charitable organization” and “reflect on its remarkable achievements and contributions to our country.”
In a Proclamation signed today, the President cited examples of how the Red Cross had provided food, comfort and medical assistance to the victims of a number of disasters in 2007, from the tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota to the devastating wildfires in California. He also noted how the Red Cross provides vital assistance by organizing blood drives, teaching health and safety programs, and supporting our men and women in uniform.
Throughout the month, 750 Red Cross chapters across the country will celebrate in a variety of ways, including holding special events, trainings or fundraisers to give people an opportunity to support the organization through donations of time, money or blood.
Locally we are participating through:
- Wednesday, March 5th is Culver’s Day of Giving where we get 10% of customer’s purchase
- Friday, March 28th is the Rockford Icehogs Red Cross night (you can still purchase tickets and we get $4 for each ticket sold - make sure you buy your tickets before March 17th)
