ABC Show & American Red Cross Join Forces

    Volunteers from both Georgia and national headquarters represented The American Red Cross in Morgan County at the site of the popular ABC tv show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on Tuesday. The show will be in Madison, Georgia all this week filming and building a home for the Anaiah Rucker family. 9-year-old Anaiah Rucker pushed her younger sister out of the way of an oncoming truck resulting in the loss of her own leg and kidney. Loretta Berryman, a Morgan County school bus driver, stopped at the scene and performed CPR which saved Anaiah’s life. In honor of Loretta the Red Cross is offering a Citizen CPR course all week at the Morgan County Lion’s Club. Classes are offered at 10A.M., 11P.M, and 2P.M., every day until Friday. The class lasts about an hour and ends with a chance for those who signed up to practice their new knowledge on CPR dummies.

    Before the 1:00P.M class on Tuesday, the Extreme Makeover Home Edition crew arrived to film the class and volunteers. One of the stars of the show, Paige Hemmis came along with the camera crew. Many volunteers were excited to hear that Paige used to be a CPR course instructor. Jeff Taylor, executive director of the American Red Cross East Georgia Chapter, ended Tuesday’s class by presenting Loretta Berryman with a Certificate of Recognition for Extraordinary Personal Action. 

      

So far the course has been a great success and a wonderful opportunity for the Red Cross. Our volunteers hope that people will continue to sign up all week. Anyone interested in taking the course this week may sign up at the volunteer tent in the Beacon Heights shopping center. Look for the Red Cross tent and volunteers to get on the class list. Make sure to watch for the episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to air in late fall!

Staying Prepared for Hurricane Season

June 1st marked the beginning of 2011’s hurricane season which runs through November 30th. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-average
hurricane season with a potential for 12-18 named storms, and the possible development of six major hurricanes. More than 35 million Americans live in regions that could potentially be threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. Although reducing the force of these powerful storms is not possible, the American Red Cross and local communities can minimize their impact. Having a plan of action and being prepared with supplies, tools, and training will enable the Red Cross and the people we help to face this above average hurricane season.

The Red Cross works with its network of partner agencies to assess vulnerabilities and ensure that communities are prepared and ready to respond in case of a hurricane. The Red Cross also works as one of the world’s largest humanitarian networks. We are committed to assisting oversea partners whenever a disaster such as a hurricane strikes. Throughout the past year, the Red Cross has aided communities in Latin America and the Caribbean to prepare for the oncoming hurricane season. A
roster of highly skilled disaster workers are ready to respond overseas and provide assistance to help with relief and recovery.

The 14 counties of the Red Cross East Georgia Chapter may not be in the direct path of a hurricane, but our counties can still be affected by the storm’s aftermath. Any hurricane that strikes the Alabama, Florida, or Georgia coastlines create a domino affect for East Georgia. Whether it is providing volunteers, shelter, food, or other supplies hurricane season affects Northeast Georgia. Hurricanes may also result in tornados and floods across our counties.

Redcross.org supplies free hurricane checklists and instructions that help families and individuals prepare for a hurricane’s impact and recovery after its landfall. The Red Cross has three simple steps to saving lives in the event of a hurricane or other disasters: Get a kit, Make a Plan, Be informed. All information on these three steps are available on redcross.org and through your local Red Cross chapter. Any donations you make help not only our East Georgia Chapter but all chapter across the
nation that may be affected by a hurricane.