Last fiscal year was one filled with hard work and success, and our people showed up big to move our mission forward. Here, our regional CEO and leadership team look back on FY24 and share some of its biggest moments.

Rachel Heller, a nurse, received the Red Cross Certificate of Merit in June for the heroic actions she took when a stranger needed help. While on her lunch break in San Francisco, a man collapsed; he had no pulse. She began CPR until paramedics arrived.

Our Central Coast Chapter was proud to announce the launch of the Community Adaptation Program in Monterey County. We’re excited to see this program empower local partners to strengthen the Monterey County community before, during and after disasters.

PRIDE is a big deal here in NCCR, and this year’s events were better than ever! For the first time, we had our own Red Cross float for SF Pride, and we again had a great time at SV Pride. We love celebrating this special month with our community.

Jasper Smith is a great guy, and this year, he's only gotten better. The Oakland native has set out to donate platelets 24 times in 2024 and has shared every step on social media. Even better, he was inducted into the National Blood Donor Hall of Fame.

This showstopper was another smash hit in 2024. Overlooking the Bay Bridge from Pier 27, the event raised nearly one million dollars for Red Cross Blood Services and celebrated our volunteer blood donor committee and Delta Dental as the 2024 honorees.

One month, ten events, 1,236 free smoke alarms installed and 452 homes made safer. Dozens of Red Crossers, community partners and local fire departments. Sound the Alarm 2024 was well worth it knowing that our communities are safer from home fires.

Our region got a refresh in more ways than one: We added a bright, service-focused mural to our San Francisco office, and several offices were relocated to new addresses, including Oakland, Carmel and San Rafael as part of our real estate overhaul.

During the August blood appeal, we were heartened to see donors across NCCR come in to roll up a sleeve. We wanted to say thanks, so our Tiffany Circle had the idea to say it with flowers. A region-wide flower delivery plan came to life.

Every year we celebrate Red Cross Giving Day, a day when we ask for support to keep our mission going. This year, we partnered with our national team to host a Facebook Live event on Giving Day to spotlight NCCR and our great volunteers!

In October, we held the 2nd Annual Maurice Edan Jordan Memorial Blood Drive. Edan passed away due to complications from sickle cell anemia, which disproportionately affects Black and African American people. The blood drive was hosted by Edan's sister, Red Cross Board member Nichole Jordan. Alongside the blood drive, our communications team hosted an exercise to better promote blood donors and drives within our region.

This devastating 6.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Northern California on Oct. 17, 1989. The quake lasted 15 seconds and struck during the peak of evening rush hour. Now, 35 years later, we reflect on this historic event, the mammoth recovery effort launched by the Red Cross and partner agencies and how our communities can prepare for the next major disaster.