By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

Michael Foote, a volunteer with the Western Lake Erie Chapter of the American Red Cross, was recently awarded the Presidential Biomedical Award for Excellence in a ceremony that took place at the Red Cross headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Michael first learned of the American Red Cross while serving in the Navy as an aircraft electrician, where the Red Cross ensured the delivery of urgent messages between sailors and their families while they were serving overseas.

After serving 20 years, he retired from the Navy and later became a caregiver for his wife, who suffered from dementia.  After her passing in 2015, he contemplated how he could utilize his free time, as they had no children or grandchildren. One thing he did know was that he wanted to volunteer.

“The main reason that I chose the Red Cross was that they were strong on the humanitarian part, of one person helping another person, human to human. I’m big on that.”  Michael explained. “In the Navy, there is the team concept – like the idea that there are a lot of different parts to the Red Cross, but they’re one team.  So, I wanted to have a small group of like-minded individuals that I could relate to. The Red Cross has become my second family.”

He started by volunteering as a Blood Transportation Specialist and quickly became one of their most dependable drivers, often picking up open shifts, covering call-offs, and training new volunteers.

“I found out that in the afternoons to pick up the blood, they were paying 60 to 70 dollars for their courier to do that,” Michael explained. “It’s 13 miles total, and it takes me an hour and a half. For me, I feel selfish sitting around watching TV when I could be saving the Red Cross those 60, 70 dollars, so I do that 5 days a week.”

In 2025, Michael worked 414 Transportation Specialist shifts, totaling over 1,000 volunteer hours and saving the Red Cross an approximate $55,000 in courier fees.

In addition to working 4 to 5 days per week transporting blood products, he also volunteers for many other Red Cross programs, including the Sound the Alarm events, where volunteers install smoke detectors in homes.

He also joined the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) due to his military background, where he has participated in flag and wreath-laying events. Through the SAF, he’s also worked with a local Air National Guard group and the Red Cross to help set up their food pantry.

Most recently, he started with the Disaster Action Team, who respond to fires, and is already a supervisor, fulfilling 2 to 3, 12-hour fire call shifts per week.

When asked how he manages to work so many hours, he chuckled, saying, “I tell people I’m on Red Cross time.”

He’s well aware of the comments people have made, such as “sometimes it seems like he sleeps here.” Others have worried that he is working too hard.

To that, he responded, ”I’m a volunteer, and I volunteer for this. If I need time off, then I’ll tell them I can’t do this. But I should be the one who says what I can and can’t do. If I’m physically and mentally able to, I want to keep doing these things. I would feel selfish not to when I know some jobs need to be done and (there’s) nobody else to do them.”

“Part of it is that I’m a Christian,” he continued, “and I want to share the kindness around me, and the other part (is) about helping humans.”

To learn more about volunteering with the Red Cross, click the link HERE, or visit www.redcross.org.