Written by Katherine Liu, Volunteer

When Greg Kaminski earned his lifeguard certification in 1974 and began to volunteer as an instructor with the Red Cross, he had no idea that it would only be the beginning of a 50 year volunteering journey. Today, more than half a century after his start with the Red Cross, Greg is still going strong, teaching lifesaving skills and inspiring future generations to serve.

A native of Michigan, Greg moved to Oregon in the 1970’s. In Eugene, he went on to found Westside Baptist Church, where he was senior pastor for 45 years. Around this time, he also started Camp Northwest, a summer youth program that he’s still running today in Washington state.

During his college years, Greg took a semester-long course to become a Water Safety Instructor, and became a lifeguard a year later. “Once you’re certified,” he explains, “you have to teach every couple years to keep it current. During this time, he quickly found his passion for teaching. Since then, he’s volunteered for thousands of hours, teaching Red Cross lifeguarding along with CPR and first aid. “My biggest contribution has been training instructors,” he says. “Helping others become instructors themselves has been my focus.” Greg has also taught nurses, medical staff, and even physical therapy teams how to respond to water emergencies. He stresses that he’salways believed that these are skills everyone should have—”You never know when you’ll need them.”

Over five decades of volunteering with the Red Cross, Greg has seen the organization evolve dramatically. From the increasingly digital material and forms to changed class formats, he emphasizes with no doubt that the Red Cross’ training material has improved over the years. “The computerization was a learning curve for us older folks,” he laughs, “but the online learning has really helped. Now, when students come to class, they already know the material—we just demonstrate and assess their skills.”

Among his favorite memories are those of teaching large instructor courses—particularly one at the University of Oregon, where he helped train 17 future instructors on brand-new Red Cross material. “Seeing people develop their skills and show appreciation—it’s very rewarding,” he says. He also continues to be a lifeguard at Camp Northwest every summer. “In the last couple of years, I’ve jumped back in the lake to help with our youth camp,” he says. “I’ve rescued more people in one week than in 50 years—but that’s the joy of it, helping those kids stay safe and have fun.”

When asked about reaching his 50-year milestone, Greg recalls that when he was just starting out as a lifeguard instructor. “I remember years ago seeing another instructor get his 50-year pin and thinking that was incredible,” he says. “Now that it’s me—it feels special. What keeps me going is that there’s still a need. There’s always another instructor to train.”

As for advice to prospective volunteers, Greg emphasizes that “The Red Cross has always set the standard for safety, first aid, and disaster relief. Their materials and mission are strong, and if you’re thinking about volunteering—just start. There’s always someone who needs what you have to give.”

Inspired by Greg’s story? Visit RedCross.org/Volunteer. The Red Cross is always looking for people ready to make a difference. Your help keeps us going!