Red Cross 2010 Local Fundraising Campaign Begins



Red Cross volunteers in Cannon County will be contacting new and existing donors to the organization over the next few weeks to help generate funds for the local chapter to help pay for local disasters, aid military families and to help train the community in life-saving first aid and CPR courses.

Many community members may receive phone calls from Red Cross volunteers asking for pledges to help with the campaign this year. The 2010 Cannon County Chair is Tim Gentry with Smith Funeral Home. The goal for this year’s Cannon County campaign is $3,000.

“We are very excited about the campaign this year and are looking forward to getting the message out about the vital services the Red Cross provides to this community, “Chairman Tim Gentry said. “The Red Cross depends on donations from the public to provide disaster relief.”

Gifts that were recently made to the Chapter for the Haiti & Chile earthquakes went directly to those relief efforts and none of those funds stayed here in the community to help with local disasters.

“While it is extremely important that we assist our International neighbors in their time of need, we must not forget that disasters happen here every day in our community and we have to be able to respond to those as well,” said Red Cross CEO Greg King.

The Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross provides vital emergency assistance to help victims of local disasters in Rutherford, Bedford, Cannon, Franklin, Coffee & Moore counties. Over the past year the Chapter trained nearly 15,000 people in CPR & First Aid, Babysitting and Aquatics training, and provided pre-deployment briefings and emergency communications for over 640 active duty military personnel and their families. Over 13,177 pints of life-saving blood were collected from the community last year. All of these services are made possible by over 320 dedicated local Red Cross volunteers as well as through generous gifts from the local community. To get more information please call 615) 893-4272 or log on to www.midtnredcross.org.