Media Contact: Pooja Klebig
Telephone: (669) 209-5266
nccrpublicaffairs@redcross.org

Join the annual celebration by donating on Red Cross Giving Day (March 27), giving blood, volunteering or taking a lifesaving skills course

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. February 29, 2024 — This week the Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region is kicking off its annual Red Cross Month celebration in March to honor local community heroes who help ensure their neighbors never face crises alone.

Red Cross Month is a national tradition that began in March 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation — and each U.S. president has followed ever since. Join the Red Cross Month celebration by visiting redcross.org. Those who donate at redcross.org/givingday on March 27 will be part of the 10th annual Red Cross Giving Day, which aims to rally 30,000 supporters nationwide to help provide shelter, food, relief items, emotional support and other assistance for people affected by disasters big and small.

Local Elected Officials will declare March as Red Cross month in the following cities and counties at their respective City Hall buildings (events secured as of 2/28/24):

Alameda County
 

• Alameda - Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – 7:00 p.m. (will be published, not read)
• Albany - Monday, March 4, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• Berkeley - Tuesday, March 12, 2024 – 6:00 p.m.
• Dublin - Tuesday, March 5, 2024 - 5:30 p.m.
• Emeryville – Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – 7:15 p.m.
• Hayward -Tuesday, March 19, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• Livermore - Monday, March 11, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• Piedmont - Monday, March 4, 2024 – 6:00 p.m.
• San Leandro - Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• Pleasanton - Tuesday, March 19, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• Fremont - Tuesday, March 19, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
   

Contra Costa County

• Board of Supervisors – Wednesday, March 5, 2024 – 9:00 a.m.
• College District – Wednesday, March 13, 2024 – 6:00 p.m. Virtual
• Concord – Tuesday, March 26, 2024 – 6:30 p.m.
• Danville – Wednesday, March 6, 2024 – 5:00 p.m.
• El Cerrito – Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – 6:00 p.m.
• Martinez – Wednesday, March 6, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• Moraga – Wednesday, March 13, 2024 – 6:30 p.m.
• Oakley – Tuesday, March 12, 2024 – 6:30 p.m.
• Orinda – Tuesday, March 12, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• Pittsburg – Monday, March 4, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
• San Ramon – Tuesday, March 26, 2024 – 7:00 p.m.
   

Monterey County

• Carmel-by-the-Sea – Tuesday, March 5 – 4:30 p.m.
• Greenfield – Tuesday, March 12 – 6:00 p.m.
• Monterey – Tuesday, March 19 – 4:00 p.m.
• Monterey County – Tuesday, March 12 – 10:30 a.m.
• Salinas – Tuesday, March 5 – 4:00 p.m.

Napa County

• American Canyon – Tuesday, March 5 – 6.30 p.m.
• Napa – Tuesday, March 5 – 3:30 p.m.
• St. Helena – Tuesday, March 12 – 6:00 p.m.
• Yountville – Tuesday, March 5 – 3:00 p.m.

Santa Clara County

• San Jose – Tuesday, March 19, 6 p.m.

Santa Cruz County

• Capitola – Thursday, March 14 – 6:00 p.m.
• Watsonville – Tuesday, March 26 – TBD

Sonoma County

• Cotati – Tuesday, March 12 – 6:00 p.m.
• Healdsburg – Monday, March 4 – 6:00 p.m.
• Petaluma – Monday, March 18 – 6:30 p.m.
• Santa Rosa – Tuesday, March 5 – 4:00 p.m.
• Sebastopol – Tuesday, March 5 – 6:00 p.m.
• Sonoma – Tuesday, March 12 – TBD
• Windsor – Wednesday, March 6 – 7:30 p.m.

“During Red Cross Month, we are proud to honor the people in our community who step up to support one another when help can’t wait during emergencies,” said Hanna Malak, Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region CEO. “This relief and hope wouldn’t be possible without these local heroes. Please consider joining in their commitment by making a financial donation, volunteering, giving blood or platelets or taking a lifesaving skills course.”

As we approach the final weeks of winter, the public is urged to book a time to donate blood or platelets now as we continue to strengthen the blood supply heading into spring. Much like pets provide comfort and support, so does the Red Cross in local communities. As a thank-you for providing comfort during Red Cross Month, all come to give blood or platelets March 1-24 will get a $10 e-gift card to a pet supply merchant of choice, plus automatically be entered for a chance to win a $3,000 gift card. There will be five winners. See rcblood.org/Pets for details.

HELP CAN’T WAIT WHEN EMERGENCIES STRIKE Volunteers comprise 90% of the national Red Cross workforce to power its lifesaving mission, along with generous blood, platelet and financial donors; people trained in skills like first aid and CPR; and other supporters. Below are some of the many ways that community members and over 7,000 dedicated Red Crossers from the Northern California Coastal Region have delivered relief and supported the humanitarian mission in times of crisis:
 

• When Flannery Mays reflects on why she donates blood, a distinct memory from her childhood always comes to mind: "I was hospitalized on and off for a year with an autoimmune disease as a 6-year-old. There was a younger girl in the bed next to me, with a terminal illness. I don't remember much, but I do have a picture of us together and remember her parents or a nurse telling me that I was the first person to make her laugh in a long time. That really stuck with me. So, whether I'm giving smiles or giving blood, I think about that little girl next to me. I don't even remember her name, but I remember her smile and the feeling I felt, knowing I had made someone's life a little brighter.”
  
• Kathie Reinholds of Brentwood is a big believer in “paying it forward.” More than 50 years ago, as a teenager in Hayward, she won an award for her volunteer work with the American Red Cross. Decades later, the Red Cross was there to help when a series of devastating wildfires forced her to evacuate the town of Paradise and months later by installing smoke alarms in her new home in Brentwood. A full circle story of community support and safety.
• Born and raised in Iraq, Ola Alani grew up against the tumultuous backdrop of war and conflict. The Red Cross, with its reputation for compassion and assistance, had always held a special place in her heart. Now, after moving to the U.S, she serves as a Restoring Family Links caseworker with the Red Cross, reconnecting families separated by armed conflict or disasters.
• A Santa Cruz cardiologist, Dr. Steven Lome saved the lives of two runners who each suffered cardiac arrests during the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in November 2022. For his heroic and lifesaving actions, he received the Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action.
• Farshad Fallah is a new volunteer who had an incredible journey from training to disaster deployment. After attending a cram session held by the Disaster Cycle Services from the Silicon Valley Chapter, he had the opportunity to be deployed to Hawaii within the same month, helping those affected by the wildfires.
   

About the American Red Cross:         

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

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