The first team of volunteers with the American Red Cross of Illinois are deploying to New Jersey to assist communities impacted by flooding caused by Hurricane Ida.
Red Cross volunteers Mario Torres of North Chicago and Anthony ‘Tony’ Bustos of Freeport will be leaving tomorrow (Sunday, September 5) from O’Hare International Airport. This is their first deployment with the Red Cross. Both Mario and Tony will be assisting with sheltering.
More than 1,100 trained Red Cross volunteers, including about 40 from the Illinois region are working around the clock to provide help to people struggling with the heartbreaking damage left behind by Hurricane Ida. From the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, Red Cross volunteers are focused on providing safe shelter, food and comfort to people who can’t return home.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Mario and Tony will be available for interviews ahead of their deployment at the airport
WHO: Mario Torres and Anthony Bustos, American Red Cross volunteers
WHERE: O’Hare airport, United Airlines departures
WHEN: Sunday, September 5, 2021 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Contact Isis (312) 539-1698 to coordinate interviews.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Families are struggling to cope with the devastation left behind by Ida. Every single donation will make a difference in someone’s life. To help people affected by Hurricane Ida, visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word IDA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Your gift is a commitment to helping people in need, and every single donation matters. Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.
The Red Cross urges individuals in unaffected areas of the country to make an appointment to give blood to ensure a sufficient blood supply remains available for patients.
Schedule a blood donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733- 2767).
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL.