A sobering reminder...

One of the first things I do when coming into the office each morning is search the local media websites for mentions of the Red Cross.  Doing so is also a great way for this former TV news employee to get his local news fix, and sometimes I stumble upon something that really brings the Red Cross mission home even when the story doesn't mention us at all.  Today was one of those days.

This feature story by Channel 2 News is both heartbreaking and eye-opening.  As a father myself, I cannot imagine the pain Annette must feel over the loss of Emily Rose, and I am amazed by her strength and determination to help other families avoid a similar tragedy.  Stories like this are a sobering reminder of why we encourage everyone learn how to save life by taking CPR/AED training.  When you receive our Annual Report in the coming weeks, you'll have the opportunity to read about one of our first aid instructors who feels his own life was saved because the staff at his gym had been properly trained.

The piece that led me to write this blog post mentions another non-profit organization and their push for legislation requiring CPR/AED training in all schools. The Red Cross is not a government organization, but we think everyone-not just high school students-should learn how to save a life, and we offer a wide range of CPR/AED, first aid and water safety classes.  You can find the right class for you and register all online.  The Red Cross can also come to your school, business or organization to train your staff on site.  For more information, please contact Jill Gregory at jill.gregory@redcross.org. If you need a reason to do so, just imagine if Emily Rose was your child.