We Have a Winner!!

Believe it or not, another Red Cross Month is coming to an end.  And with the end of March comes the end of our first ever Red Cross Moments contest!  Back on March 1, we asked you to share your experiences with the Red Cross, with the story deemed the best earning two free general admission tickets to BASH*2011!  Well, it wasn't easy, but we've picked a winner!  For sharing the following story, Jessica will get join over 4,000 of her closest friends at the party of the year on June 3rd--for free!!

"I (with my whole family) volunteered with the American Red Cross chapter in Goshen NY (just north of NYC) for the immediate days following the 9/11 attacks. We all worked tirelessly to move donations ranging from dog food for rescue dogs to first aid supplies and water to the men and women in NYC. I was still a teenager when this happened, 16 to be exact, but I do remember my awe at the amount of help and donations that were coming in. It was amazing. It was probably one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  And to boot, I've been a registered blood donor since my first blood drive in High School at 17, and I carry my donor card proudly! Here I am, 10 years later, still a supporter of the American Red Cross. The Red Cross provides excellent services to people in time of crisis, and I'm glad I've been a part of it!!!"

Thank you for sharing your inspirational story, Jessica, and for continuing to be a donor for nearly a decade!  We look forward to seeing you at BASH!!

The contest may be over, but we still want to hear Red Cross Moments!  The stories of your experiences can help us improve our services, and let the community know what we have to offer.  Please click on the "Tell Us Your Red Cross Moments" button on the left hand side of this page to send us your stories!

And if you want to join Jessica at BASH*2011 on Friday, June 3rd, you might have trouble getting in this year!  Tickets are going fast--one $100 raffle ticket gets you two tickets to the general admission tent, two drinks per person, all the food you can eat, PLUS the chance to win $10,000, $5,000, or $2,500!  For more on how you can be a part of what Artvoice calls Buffalo's Best Annual Fundraiser, visit http://www.buffaloredcross.org/Bash.html

Did you mark June 3rd on your new 2011 calendar?

Can you feel it Buffalo? BASH is only 6 months away, and the planning is starting here at the Chapter!

This annual fundraiser has amazing food from some of Western New York’s top restaurants, the music of Lance Diamond, and is a one-of-a-kind military-themed event! It’s even been named Buffalo’s Best Annual Fundraiser in 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 by ArtVoice and was the recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Event Award by Buffalo Niagara Event Professionals!

Last year’s BASH had over 4,000 people in attendance, we went through 3,800 grilled hotdogs and sausages, over 2.2 tons of ice, had 15 sheet pizzas delivered every half hour, and had too much fun to measure!  However the most important and gratifying part of the evening was that we raised over $340,000 for vital emergency services right here in Western New York.

So mark the calendar for June 3rd, 2011 and be sure to stay up to date with us by visiting www.redcrossbash.org, check back often, and Prepare to Party!

Want to be a VIP? BASH*2011 sponsors receive VIP tickets at each sponsorship level, increased media exposure for your company and exclusive early admission to the event.  Contact Jerilyn Hickey at 878-2383 or HickeyJe@usa.redcross.org to enlist today!

Feeling lucky? The BASH Raffle is for you! With only 1,000 tickets sold for $100 each, your odds of winning are great PLUS with each raffle ticket purchased you get 2 free general admission tickets to BASH*2011! New this year you can be a VIP by purchasing 15 raffle tickets and you will receive 10 VIP tickets instead of general admission tickets! We are also looking for volunteers to help us sell tickets. To buy or sell raffle tickets, please contact Heather Filipowicz at 878-2396 or FilipowiczH@usa.redcross.org.

Make becoming CPR certified your New Year's resolution!

If your significant other or another family member were to choke on something or stop breathing, would you know what to do? Make it your New Year’s resolution to learn!

We all normally eat at least 3 times a day, which means all of us run the risk of ourselves choking or being in the room with someone that is choking more than 20 times a week!  This is why we here at the Chapter think that everyone should be prepared for these types of situations by becoming certified in CPR/AED! So breathe a little easier this 2011 and make getting certified in CPR/AED a part of your New Year’s resolution!

Already certified? Individuals need to be recertified yearly to make sure that they are up-to-date on all of the new techniques and qualifications, so, if you can’t remember if it’s 30 to 2, 50 to 3 or you don’t even know what that means… it’s time to come back in for a refresher course!

To register for a CPR/AED course through the Chapter, visit us online or call us at 716.878.2387.