Tag Archives: march

Contest Super Sleuths

040114_FlyingOur Everyday Heroes Contest was a blast! It was great to see all of the photo guesses, comments, and nicknames that everyone submitted. We really appreciate your replies and you certainly know your community heroes! There were many super sleuths, but who are the contest winners? Drumroll, please

Congratulations to Kathy McVicker (Northwest Ohio), Loretta Bassette (West Central), and Jill Wasbro Wagner (Hancock, Seneca, & Wyandot) for winning! Hurray! Red Cross swag gift baskets are headed your way. Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest. It’s your enthusiasm and energy that allows us to help those in need and we can’t do it without you. You are all heroes every month of the year. Thank you for making this past #RedCrossMonth one to remember!

March Matchness

We have some exciting news for new and existing donors who want to give above and beyond for Red Cross Month! Edward and Linda Reiter are offering a $5,000 Matching Gift to support the mission and efforts of the Red Cross.

031214_ReiterIf you’re a new donor, simply donate between $500 and $5,000 and your gift will be matched. If you’re an existing donor, donate an amount that exceeds your gift from last year and the difference between the two will be matched. For example, if you donated $700 last year and donate $1,000 this year, Ed and Linda will match $300 making the donation total $600! Now here’s a little secret: this is an opportunity to double-dip! A donation between $1,000 and $9,999 to the Red Cross in any twelve month time frame qualifies you as a member of the Clara Barton Society. The Clara Barton Society offers an experience to members filled with recognition and rewards in the spirit of our founder, Clara Barton.

Ed and Linda Reiter are longtime supporters of the Red Cross and our community. They understand the importance of giving back to those who are in need. We’re blown away by their generosity and encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to double your contribution!

For more information on the matching gift or the Clara Barton Society, contact our Major Gifts Officer, Chris Diefenthaler, or call 419-329-2375.

Angel of the Battlefield

In celebration of Red Cross Month, we look to honor our heroes past and present. Have you ever heard of Clara Barton? She was an everyday hero – just like many of you! Her impact was strong enough to start a movement of humanitarian efforts in the United States that would later become your American Red Cross.

Clara’s pioneering began around the start of the American Civil War. She was working as a copyist in the U.S. Patent Office in Washington D.C. as troops began to emerge in the city. The war had just started and troops were already feeling the impact. With a sense of duty and good will, she started aiding troops with provisions, washed and fed patients, carried on their messages, and listened to their tales. The stories the soldiers shared filled her with a passion to directly assist soldiers on the battlefield; this was a request that was considered impossible.

Clara was unbroken and eventually gained permission to the front of multiple battle locations, bringing everything from food to bandages. Her mule-drawn wagon was a much-appreciated general store for the wounded. In one 24-hour period, at the battle of Cedar Mountain, Dr. James Dunn treated twenty-two thigh amputations and countless arm amputations. He was running dangerously low on supplies. Clara Barton arrived at his location with a collection of dressings, alcohol, and medical supplies to assist. The “Angel of the Battlefield” had arrived.

By 1869, Clara’s health had suffered and she took time to recover in Europe. During a stay in Switzerland, she was visited by one of the founders of International Red Cross and first learned about the articles of the Geneva Convention. Throughout the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester B. Arthur, she worked tirelessly to urge the U.S. to ratify the Geneva Convention. In 1882, her financial, public, and physical efforts made progress when the Senate finally ratified the treaty. In 1884, she took it one step further and traveled to Geneva, Switzerland at the International Conference of the Red Cross. The American Amendment was adopted, and the American Red Cross was born.

The heroics of Clara Barton are part of a large story. Her work shows the importance of everyday heroes and just how strong of an impact one person can have on people here and abroad.

Thanks, Clara.