Mayor Feiszli Declares March Red Cross Month

March is Red Cross Month, and the American Red Cross is asking people to join them in helping those in need by volunteering their time, making a donation, taking a class, or giving blood.

“When someone provides a hot meal to a disaster victim, gives blood, takes a first aid class, or helps someone in the military, they join the Red Cross,” said Barry Stein, Executive Director of the Cortland County Red Cross Chapter. “We want to say ‘thank you’ to all who support us. That support enables us to provide help and hope to those who need our assistance.”

For nearly 100 years, U.S. Presidents have called on people to support the American Red Cross and its humanitarian mission. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first to proclaim March as Red Cross Month in 1943. Since that time, President Obama and every president since have issued proclamations designating March as Red Cross Month. Last week, Mayor Susan Feiszli proclaimed it so in Cortland with Cortland County Red Cross Board Chair Sheila Abbey on hand to accept the proclamation.

The American Red Cross has been helping people for 130 years, responding to disasters, assisting members of the military, teaching lifesaving skills, and serving as one of the largest blood suppliers in the United States. Last year, the Cortland County Chapter collected 3395 units of blood, trained 2222 students in life saving skills, delivered emergency communications to 40 military families, responded to 17 disasters and provided financial assistance to the victims of those disasters.

“We work very diligently to help those in need,” Barry Stein said. “Whether out on a disaster, alongside our troops, at a blood drive or in a first aid class, Red Cross workers touch the lives of millions of people every year. When people join the Red Cross by volunteering, donating blood, taking a class or making a donation, they enable us to continue our work, both here in Cortland County and around the world.”