Lets get Ready to Row!!

Get your gear ready, Buffalo’s rowing event is happening this Sunday at the CrossFit at 3820 Union Road, Cheektowaga NY, 14225! 

All participants have been sponsored to row part of or an entire 5K on a Concept2 Rowing machine and all proceeds from the Buffalo team will be benefiting us here at the Chapter!

So put on your workout gear or choose a team member to sponsor so that our Buffalo team can benefit from some of the amazing prizes being offered and so we here at the Chapter can continue to do our good work in the community.

Prizes

•The individual that raises the most money, over $1000, will receive a certificate good for admission to a CrossFit Endurance Trainer certification class, courtesy of CrossFit Endurance.

•The top three fundraising individuals will receive a $50 gift certificate from Ranger Up.

•Any individual that raises over $1000 will receive a certificate for a free CPR/AED class offered by your local New York State Red Cross Chapter.

•All rowers who raise at least $100 will receive an event t-shirt from Ranger Up (pictured above!).

For more information about this amazing fundraiser, visit Row for the Red Cross online.

To join the Buffalo CrossFit team or sponsor one of our teammates, click here!

To see more about all the great work you help us do through fundraising, visit

Looking for the next cool thing? Join Us!

It’s one of our favorite months here at the Chapter… Red Cross Month! Or March, as everyone else seems to call it.  Regardless, throughout Red Cross Month we like to concentrate on community outreach and ask our neighbors to Join Us by volunteering their time, making a donation, taking a class, or giving blood. 

“When someone provides a hot meal to a disaster victim, gives blood, takes a first aid class, or helps someone in the military, they join the Red Cross. We want to say ‘thank you’ to all who support us. That support enables us to provide help and hope to those who need our assistance.”--
Nancy Blaschak, Executive Director of the American Red Cross, Greater Buffalo Chapter

The American Red Cross has been helping people here in Buffalo since 1916, responding to disasters, assisting members of the military, teaching lifesaving skills, and serving as one of the largest blood suppliers in the United States.

In 2010 alone, we:

·         Responded and provided assistance in over 170 local disasters

·         Processed 279 emergency military calls

·         Trained 24,215 people to save a life through our Red Cross health and safety trainings

·         Provided transportation assistance to 197 people living with HIV/AIDS

·         Assisted residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities 3,640 times through our Ombudsman program.

 “When people join the Red Cross by volunteering, donating blood, taking a course or making a contribution, they enable us to continue our work, both here at home, and around the world.”--
Nancy Blaschak, Executive Director of the American Red Cross, Greater Buffalo Chapter

So keep your eyes open for us this month to learn about all of the different services, programs and various opportunities we will be highlighting for something that might interest you in joining us here at the Greater Buffalo Chapter!

For more information on everything that we do here in Buffalo, please visit us online.

To stay up to date on everything that is going on in the fabulous month of March, be sure to follow us on our Chapter’s blog, Facebook and Twitter!

We're getting Miles Ahead!

Here at the American Red Cross we’re always proud to partner with organizations to further our mission within the community.  That’s why we’re happy to now be working with Miles Ahead Donations.

What is Miles Ahead Donations?

Miles Ahead Donations is a nation-wide vehicle donation program that works with charities such as Boy Scouts of America to help feed the hungry, house the homeless, and provide services for the mentally challenged, disabled, handicapped, elderly and blind through the profit made from vehicle donations. 

Why are we working with them?

Because our mission in the community is to “provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies,” we think that this is a great opportunity for us to join forces with a likeminded organization in order to increase our ability to respond to the community when needed.

How much money is donated?

By maximizing the sale price of your donated car, truck, van, RV, trailer or boat, Miles Ahead Donations donates approximately 75% of the sale to the charity of your choice... which we hope is us! 

Why donate?

Individuals that donate receive a minimum tax deduction of $500.00, and all towing and paperwork is free and completed for you so that there is never a risk of liability if you donate.  So, not only will you have the opportunity to get rid of that old gas guzzler that your husband has been promising to fix up for the past 5 years, but you're also helping us continue our mission in the community!

Want more information?

To find out more about our partnership with Miles Ahead Donations, please contact Emily Shafer at 716.878.2374 or at shafere@usa.redcross.org.
To talk to someone directly at Miles Ahead Donation, please call 1.800.868.6004 or visit them online.

Step Right Up and Win A Prize!

It's almost a rite of passage as a child--heading off to the carnival, and returning home with a huge stuffed animal or maybe even a goldfish as a reward for your skill in throwing a ball through the clown's mouth.  Well we don't have any clowns here at the Chapter, but we still want to make sure you feel like a winner during this Red Cross Month.

If you're reading this blog, chances are your life has been affected by the Red Cross, hopefully in a positive way, and we want to hear your stories.  So between now and 12:01am on March 28th, click on the "Tell Us Your Red Cross Moments" link on the left hand side of the page, and tell us what the words "Red Cross" mean to you!  The best three "Moments", as judged by the communications staff here at the Chapter, will then be posted on our website, buffaloredcross.org, for the public to read and then choose their favorite.  The "Moment" receiving the most votes will receive a free pair of general admission tickets to BASH*2011 on Friday, June 3rd!  We'll announce the winner on March 31st.

By telling us about your "Red Cross Moments", you can help us improve the ways we provide our services, and help others to learn about the variety of services the Red Cross provides to the community.  So we may use your "Moment" in future Chapter publications.  Don't worry, you can remain anonymous--but please make sure we know how to contact you if you win!  Unfortuantely, Red Cross employees and their families are not eligible to win, but we'd still love to hear your stories!

Your "Red Cross Moment" doesn't have to be long--sometimes a simple one-liner can be as meaningful as a full-length novel!  To get you started, I've posted my own "Red Cross Moment" below.  So take a few seconds to tell us about your "Moment."  We're looking forward to hearing them.  Good luck!

Jay Bonafede's Red Cross Moment:

When I think of the Red Cross, I think of people who voluntarily get up in the middle of the night and brave the snow and cold to help total strangers.   I had the opportunity to watch the efforts of our staff and volunteers at the storm shelter in Cheektowaga last December.   A mother and her teenage daughter came in, exhausted and stressed after being trapped in their car for hours.  When they arrived, the daughter looked ready to pass out, and said she needed her medication.  The staff and volunteers did everything they could to make them more comfortable, and helped them make arrangements to get back home.  Seeing how appreciative of the efforts of the Red Cross this family and everyone who came to the shelter was made me feel proud to be just a small part of this amazing organization.