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March is American Red Cross Month
Written by
Katie Lawson
, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Monday, March 06, 2006 — For more than 60 years the President of the United States has proclaimed March to be American Red Cross Month. What began as a way for the Red Cross to promote its services to the communities it serves and to raise funds to cover the cost associated with them has become a celebration of the unique and vital role it plays in local neighborhoods across the country.
For the 25 years after Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881, it held no regular fundraising drives. Publicity and financial support were dependent on generous donors who would learn of disasters and the response of the Red Cross to them.
In 1917, Red Cross fundraising operations were drastically changed when the United States entered World War I. It was then that President Wilson ordered the Red Cross to raise funds to support the military and civilians affected by the war. In June of that year, the Red Cross held its first War Fund drive and set donation goals high at $100 million which, especially at that time, was an extremely large amount of money.
The call to action worked and the public response was immediate and overwhelming. Within a few days the Red Cross had already raised over $115 million, exceeding all expectations.
Following the success of this fundraiser, the Red Cross held its first “Christmas Roll Call” which asked people to contribution $1 to join the organization’s membership rolls. This was a great success, as was an additional War Fund drive in the last year of the war.
When the war was over, the Roll Call was made an annual membership drive and fundraiser. The resulting list of members was often used to send out special messages, encouraging donations in response to disasters like the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s and the periodic flooding of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
It was after a particularly successful 25th annual Roll Call in 1941 that the attack on Pearl Harbor prompted the United States to enter World War II. As done during the previous war, the Red Cross immediately declared another War Fund campaign and raised more than $66 million.
Rather than ask the public to donate again for the third time in one year, the Red Cross decided to cancel its 1942 Roll Call. After discussions with then honorary chairman President Roosevelt, the whole month of March 1943 was declared Red Cross month. During that time it set a fundraising goal of $125 million, the largest amount ever requested in one campaign by any American organization.
Once again the response was overwhelming and in just six weeks, the goal was met. By 1943, donations totaled nearly $146 million. Roosevelt called it “the greatest single crusade of mercy in all of history." This accomplishment caused the Red Cross to repeat the March drive during the remainder of the war, and then make it the occasion of its annual membership and fundraising efforts.
The Tradition Continues Today
Again this year, President George W. Bush has issued a proclamation declaring March as American Red Cross Month. Also like those bygone years, 2005 was a history-making year for the Red Cross.
The year began with the American Red Cross supporting the global response to a devastating tsunami that struck just before the year commenced. It continued with a domestic response to an Atlantic hurricane season that saw a record-breaking 26 named tropical storms including 13 hurricanes that affected millions of lives. In response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, the Red Cross mobilized more than 233,000 workers, mostly volunteers, to the gulf coast region for the largest humanitarian response to a domestic natural disaster in American Red Cross history.
Along with the hurricanes, last year the Red Cross responded to nearly 73,000 local disasters. Most of them were home fires but also included tornadoes, wildfires, floods, mudslides and earthquakes, making 2005 one of the most demanding years in Red Cross history.
Even 125 years after Clara Barton founded the Red Cross, the organization continues to evolve and adapt to meet the needs of the times. In the Gulf Region and in communities across the country, Red Cross services to those affected by the 2005 hurricanes have continued into 2006, a year that marks another milestone for the organization as it celebrates 125 years of service to the American public.
In celebrating Red Cross month, the president and the public are honoring the humanitarian heart and volunteer spirit of not only the organization but of the entire country. Without the help of those who have contributed their time, money and blood, the Red Cross would not be here doing what it is doing today...helping its neighbors down the street, across the country and around the world.
To learn how your community is celebrating Red Cross Month or to become a part of the rich Red Cross history, contact your local chapter. Together, we can save a life.
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
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