The American Red Cross is kicking off its annual Red Cross Month celebration to honor local community heroes who help ensure their neighbors never face crises alone. Red Cross Month is a national tradition that began in March 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation — and each U.S. president has followed ever since.

“We’re proud to honor the people in our community who step up to support one another when help can’t wait during emergencies,” said Linda Blackmore, executive director of the Red Cross serving communities across central Minnesota. “This help and hope wouldn’t be possible without these community heroes.”

Join the Red Cross Month celebration by visiting redcross.org/mndaks to become a volunteer, schedule a blood donation appointment, take a lifesaving skills course or make a financial donation.

Volunteer: Red Cross community heroes include volunteers in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. They comprise 90% of the Red Cross workforce. Last year, trained Red Cross volunteers responded to nearly 1,000 local home fire incidents. In addition, more than 200 local responders deployed last year to care for people affected by Hurricane Ian in Florida, Typhoon Mawar in Guam, flooding in California, tornadoes in the southern U.S. This amounted to more national deployments than any other Red Cross region in the country.

Give blood: The Minnesota and Dakotas region is among the top blood collection regions in the country, collecting around 220,000 units every year. Blood and platelet donors are heroes helping people in need of lifesaving blood products every day. Healthy individuals are urged to book a time to donate blood as the Red Cross continues to strengthen the national blood supply. 

Take a class: We empower people to learn skills and use them to save lives in emergencies. The Red Cross has been creating courses and training people in first aid for more than 100 years. On average, more than 4.6 million people a year receive Red Cross training in first aid, water safety and other skills that help save lives. Last year, more than 127,000 people in our region trained in First Aid, CPR & AED, water safety, babysitting, and more.

Donate: It’s only with the generosity of financial donors that the Red Cross humanitarian mission is fulfilled. Individual, corporate and foundation giving supports disaster relief, service the armed forces, international services, blood services and more.

About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. The Minnesota and Dakotas Red Cross region is comprised of nine community chapters and five Blood Donation Centers, the Minnesota and Dakotas Region serves more than 7.3 million people a in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, as well as many Indigenous nations, communities and peoples. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/mndaks.