“In 1975, I joined a group of individuals who were carrying on a long tradition of training the American public to swim and save lives as lifeguards.
"The work of our Training Services team often extends beyond the United States to offer expertise to other Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. I've traveled with other Instructor Trainers to Myanmar, Belize, and Vietnam to train volunteers in swimming, water safety, lifeguarding, CPR, Basic Life Support, first aid, and instructor skills in the hopes of jump starting the next generation of trainers for those countries. The full impact of our training in those countries has yet to be realized!”
Mary Franklin (pictured right) started as a Water Safety Instructor volunteer 46 years ago. Today, not only is Mary a dedicated water safety volunteer with her local pool, she also teaches basic and instructor level courses such as first aid, CPR, lifeguarding and water safety.
Mary is also a member of the East Tennessee Chapter’s Board of Directors and a member of the Tiffany Circle. The Tiffany Circle is a network of women philanthropists committed to advancing the Red Cross mission locally, nationally and globally.