Are you ready for the warm weather?

As the weather finally begins to warm up here in Buffalo, we’re tempted to start hopping into our pools for some warm weather relief, but STOP!! Before you and your family open up the pool this summer or begins to swim in one of Buffalo’s many community centers or lakes, we urge you to take a few moments to read over some water safety tips, take a water safety class, become certified in CPR and maybe even become a certified lifeguard!!

Photo courtesy of the
Calhoun Branch American Red Cross



Did you know, that in a recent American Red Cross Survey, almost 50% of adults said that they’ve had an experience where they’ve nearly drowned and 1 in 4 adults surveyed knows someone who has drown?



AND

Over 90% of families with young children here in American will be in the water at some point this summer, where 50% of the adults surveyed said that they’d be in the water without a lifeguard!!

It’s so important that everyone follows the basics in water safety which includes:

·         Swimming in the designated areas supervise by lifeguards

·         Always swim with a buddy; don’t allow anyone to swim alone!!

·         Ensure that everyone in the family learns to swim well

·         Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and Learn-to-Swim courses

·         Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child

·         Teach children to always ask permission to go near water

·         Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.

·         MAINTAIN CONSTANT SUPERVISION

o   If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers—many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than 5 minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.

o    Actively supervise children whenever around water—even if lifeguards are present.

o   Always stay within arm’s reach of young children.

o    Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.

·         KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO AN AQUATIC EMERGENCY

o   If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability

o   Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number

o   Enroll in Red Cross water safety, first aid and CPR courses to learn how to respond.

o    Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit



For more information on water safety or to distribute this information around your neighborhood or local pools, click here for a flyer!! To learn more about water safety and the water safety programs we offer here at the American Red Cross, call us at 886-7500 or visit us online. 

Hip hip, hoorah!

Not one, not two, not three and not four… but FIVE! That’s right Buffalo; you’ve voted BASH the Best Annual Fundraiser for Artvoice’s Best of Buffalo FIVE times!!

For those of you who don’t know what BASH or Artvoice’s Best of Buffalo is, let us elaborate so that you can understand why we’re so darn excited!

Every year, Artvoice puts out a survey that allows anyone and everyone vote on what they like best in specific categories, i.e. Best Annual Fundraiser, Best Bagel, Best Bookstore, Best Open Mic, Best Painter, and Best Bar Only You Know About.

That’s a lot of categories! And, frankly I often have a hard time thinking of places to vote for each year, aside from our fabulous BASH of course, but Buffalo has honored us again with this Best of Title, and with the fierce competition with other Buffalo fundraisers, we couldn’t be prouder or happier!

Now, that’s all well and good, but for anyone that hasn’t been to BASH, you might be wondering… what the heck is this BASH thing, why is it winning awards, and how the heck do I get in?!

Well, let me start by saying, BASH is one of the biggest and best parties in Buffalo in the summer, and pretty much all year long! Over 4,000 people come together, to dance, drink, bid on some of amazing auction items, and be merry while enjoying one-of-a-kind military themed tents and more.

And the greatest part? All proceeds of the event stay right here in WNY to help with the American Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts!! 

When is the BASH?

·         Friday June 3^rd, 8:00pm-midnight

How do I get in?

The ONLY way to get into this event is through our BASH raffle.

·         1 raffle ticket/$100.00 gets you:

o   2 general admission tickets with admission at 8:00pm

o   2 drinks/person

o   All the fabulous food you can eat from our restaurant sponsors

o   PLUS the chance to win $10,000, $5,000 or $2,500!

Not good enough for you? Maybe you’re VIP worthy…

VIP's start the party at 6:00pm and get to enjoy the exclusive VIP tent with complimentary cocktails and even more amazing Buffalo food!

·         15 raffle tickets for $1,500 gets you 10 VIP tickets

·         20 raffle tickets for $2,000 gets you 13 VIP tickets

·         25 raffle tickets for $2,500 gets you 16 VIP tickets

·         30 raffle tickets for $3,000 gets you 20 VIP tickets

·         35 raffle tickets for $3,500 gets you 22 VIP tickets

·         40 raffle tickets for $4,000 gets you 24 VIP tickets

·         45 raffle tickets for $4,500 gets you 26 VIP tickets

·         50 raffle tickets for $5,000 gets you 30 VIP tickets

So, the more raffle tickets you buy, the more friends you can invite to be VIPs too!!

As you can see, we’re very excited for this upcoming event, and even more excited that all of you out there have recognized how much hard work we put into this amazing event by voting us the Best Annual Fundraiser.  We’re counting down the days to celebrate this victory and raise even more money for disaster relief here in WNY, and we hope to see you June 3^rd to celebrate with us!

Have some questions about tickets or interested in purchasing some? Call Heather at 716.878.2396 or e-mail her at filipowiczh@usa.redcross.org.

Interested in learning more about the BASH auction or donating an item? Call Emily at 716.878.2374 or e-mail her at shafere@usa.redcross.org.

Want your company to become a sponsor of BASH? Call Jerilyn at 716.878.2383 or e-mail her at hickeyje@usa.redcross.org.

Do you want to you or your company, organization, or school to volunteer for BASH? Call Kara at 716.878.2235 or e-mail her at hitek@usa.redcross.org. 

The Ultimate Survival Sandwich

When you’re packing up your emergency preparedness kit, canned corn, granola, and freeze dried food can often seem pretty bland when considering your options in an emergency.  After all, we like fun, tasty food that keeps our attention! Maybe that’s why so many people find creating their emergency kits slightly tedious, and when asked if they’d actually use anything in their kit, they normally say no with a fairly disgusted look on their face.  

So why can’t our emergency kits be fun and personalized?! Why can’t we have our favorite book, an extra mp3 player, sketch book, and favorite foods inside?  We can! Your emergency kit should be personalized to YOU! And that’s normally all well and good, until it’s time to start packing up food. I mean… whose favorite food is canned corn? Or spam? Or Vienna Sausages?!  I’ll tell you who… no one! However, compare that to a tasty sandwich? Now you’ve peaked my interest!

But now comes the issue of, how in the world do I keep a sandwich in my emergency kit for a year without it spoiling? Well the brains over at ThinkGeek online figured that out with their Tactical Sammiches! 

These tasty concoctions come in two flavors, Pepperoni and Honey BBW Beef, are less than 300 calories each and are 100% delicious… what could be better? They have a shelf life of TWO years!! Absolutely perfect for your emergency preparedness kit, a late night snack, a last minute lunch, and the perfect solution to make building your emergency kit a more fun and interactive activity for your entire family! Talk about a win-win!

Want to buy yourself some sammiches? Visit ThinkGeek online!
Looking for the sammiches nutritional information? Click here!

Looking for more fun and innovative foods for your kit to get your family or maybe just yourself more excited about putting together your emergency preparedness kits? Try Tac Bac and Astronaut Ice-cream!

Want information on what you should include in an emergency kit and how you and your family should start preparing now in case of an emergency? Visit us online!