Cal Ripken, Jr. who holds the record of playing in 2,632 consecutive major league baseball games is the featured speaker at the seventeenth “Evening of Stars” benefiting the American Red Cross of the Heartland. The chapter’s largest fundraising event, Evening of Stars generates funds for local Red Cross programs. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 29 at the Marriott Hotel in Uptown Normal.

“Cal Ripken, Jr. always came to play and is a tremendous role model for people of all ages,” says Tom Mercier, president of BOPI who along with his wife Sandy are co-chairs for the event and made the announcement at the chapter’s Saluting Our Heroes Breakfast this morning.

EVENING OF STARS INFORMATION
DATE: Thursday, April 29, 2010 LOCATION: Marriott Hotel, Uptown Normal

TICKETS: $150 each and on sale now or call the American Red Cross of the Heartland at 662-0500 to purchase by phone.

SPECIAL TICKETS: Enjoy the Red Carpet Experience – for $500, fifty couples receive two tickets to both Evening of Stars and the special Sponsor Reception held just prior to the event.

Cal Ripken, Jr. Biography

PAST EVENING OF STARS SPEAKERS
1994 Charles Kuralt
1995 Art Buchwald
1996 Tony Randall
1997 Regis Philbin
1998 Mike Farrell
1999 Sen. Robert Dole
2000 Capt. James Lovell
2001 Capt. Scott O’Grady
2002 Cokie Roberts
2003 Dick Vitale
2004 Lynn Redgrave
2005 Bob Costas
2006 Peyton Manning
2007 Chris Gardner
2008 Mike Ditka
2009 Mike Krzyzewski

The recent documented cases of swine flu in several states across the U.S. and in a growing number of other countries may cause many people to wonder what they can do to better protect themselves right now.

Stay Healthy
The Red Cross and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are offering the following tips to ensure you stay healthy:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective when soap and water aren’t available.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way. Try to avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Influenza (flu) is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing.
• If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Consult your healthcare provider if you develop symptoms of the flu, such as:
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Chills
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Vomiting and/or diarrhea

For more information, see the Red Cross Flu Checklist.

Prepare for Potential Flu Outbreak
Stocking extra food, water and supplies at home will reduce the need to go out should swine flu become more widespread, thereby limiting potential for exposure to the virus. If a person does get sick and has extra supplies on hand, they will help reduce the spread of the flu by staying home.

• Store a two-week supply of food, water and household necessities (such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc.). Select foods that are easy to prepare and store.
• Store one gallon of water per person per day in clean plastic containers. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles.
• Insure that formula for infants and any child’s or older person’s special nutritional needs are a part of your planning. Store an extra supply of food for your pets.
• Make sure you have an adequate supply of essential medications and medical items for all family members

The Red Cross recommends you take this opportunity to prepare your family for any disaster by getting a preparedness kit, making a plan and being informed. More information is available on the national Red Cross Web site.

Up-to-the-minute updates on the swine flu can be found at the CDC Web site. People seeking information on human swine flu should visit the CDC Web site or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

American Red Cross First Aid and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) training saves lives. The following accounts are real-life examples of how important it can be to know how to perform CPR:

Douglas Eggleston knows how critical CPR classes can be. His training helped him several months ago when his mother choked on a pill and he was able to use his knowledge to help her.

“I was at my mother’s home preparing to take her to church and our usual Sunday lunch together,” Doug related, “I gave Mom her hand full of pills to take and found her standing in the middle of the floor, turning blue in the face and choking. I immediately had the CPR training I received run through my mind. I asked her if she was choking, I attempted a couple of back thrusts, and then I finally moved into position and performed two abdominal thrusts. I heard a gasp and heavy breathing. The large pill she was attempting to swallow had been dislodged and she was breathing freely on her own again.”

Douglas is a staff member of the Historic Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross in Lynchburg, VA.

Rita Hanegraaf, a disaster volunteer with the Mower County Red Cross Chapter in Austin, MN, also knows first-hand how knowing CPR can help save someone’s life.

It was primary election day in Rose Creek, MN, several months ago and election judges and others were busy getting ready to open the polls. Shortly after the polls opened, one of the election judges went into distress. Rita preformed CPR and chest compressions for nearly 20 minutes on the woman, who was airlifted to the Rochester Mayo Clinic and had a defibrillator implanted. She spent several days in the hospital and had physical therapy, but has made a wonderful recovery due to Rita’s Red Cross training.

Morgan Juarez’s CPR training helped save the life of a child in the Summer of 2008. A volunteer with the American Red Cross of Ottawa County, Holland, MI, Morgan is a Red Cross-trained lifeguard. Last summer she and another lifeguard noticed a child go to the bottom of the pool. Together, they pulled him out and began CPR. The five-year-old had no pulse, was not breathing, and had turned blue. Their efforts helped save the life of this small child. Today, the child is happy, healthy and going to school. Morgan, who had just graduated from high school when this occurred, is now a freshman at Western MI University.

For information about calsses avaialbale at the American Red Cross of the Heartland, or to register for a class, visit our Health & Safety course page.

All classes are held at the American Red Cross of the Heartland classroom (One Westport Court, Bloomington) unless otherwise indicated.

Babysitter’s Training - $35 - teaches youth ages 11-15 how to care for infant through school-age children, how to prevent injuries, and what to do if an emergency arises.
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Monday, January 5
Monday, January 19
Friday, January 23 (8:30 am-3:30 pm at Leroy Elementary School)
Saturday, February 28

Adult & Child CPR/AED, Infant and Child CPR and First Aid - $55
8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday, January 13
Saturday, January 24
Tuesday, February 17
Saturday, February 28

First Aid and Adult CPR with AED - $45
9 am - 4 pm
Saturday, January 10
Thursday, January 22
Tuesday, February 10
Saturday, February 21

First Aid, Adult & Child CPR/AED and Infant CPR - $55
Tuesday, January 6; 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm AND Thursday, January 8; 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday, February 3; 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm AND Thursday, February 5; 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Adult CPR/AED - $35
Saturday, January 3; 9:00 am–1:30 pm
Wednesday, January 14 ; 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday, January 27 ; 9:00 am – 1:30 pm
Saturday, February 7; 9:00 am – 1:30 pm
Thursday, February 19; 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday, February 24; 9:00 am – 1:30 pm

Adult CPR/AED Review - $25
Saturday, January 3; 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Thursday, January 15; 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Thursday, January 29; 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday, February 12; 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Thursday, February 26; 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
(must bring book and have been certified within the last year)

Adult CPR/AED, Infant and Child CPR - $45
8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Tuesday, January 13
Saturday, January 24
Tuesday, February 17
Saturday, February 28

Adult CPR/AED, Infant and Child CPR Review - $35
Friday, January 2 ; 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Saturday, February 14; 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
(must bring book and have been certified within the last year.)

First Aid Basics - $25
Tuesday, January 6; 5:30 pm – 10 pm
Saturday, January 10; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Thursday, January 22 ; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Tuesday, February 3; 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday, February 10; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Saturday, February 21; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

CPR/AED & First Aid Challenge Session - $25 - provides individuals with the opportunity to demonstrate competency of their skills and knowledge outside the formal class setting.
Thursday, January 15; 7:00 pm
Monday, January 26; 9:00 am
Friday, February 6; 9:00 am
Wednesday, February 18; 7:00 pm
(must have prior knowledge of skills, be prepared to test when class begins, and bring book to session)

CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer - $65
Monday, February 16; 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer Review - $40
Friday, January 30; 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
(must bring book & pocket mask and have been certified within the last year)

Pre-registration is required for all classes. Unless otherwise indicated, all classes are held at the American Red Cross of the Heartland, One Westport Court, Bloomington. To register, please call (309) 662 – 0500.

Cause for Celebration: A Mixer for the Measles Initiative

American Red Cross of Greater Chicago Hosts Innovative Fundraiser

Monday, December 08, 2008 — It was the party to end all parties: The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago opened McFadden’s pub in Chicago for beer and wine donated by Heineken, offered a raffle with gift certificates from popular hotels and bars and hosted 120 people that all cared about making a difference. After all, it was a Measles Initiative fundraiser – what could be more fun?

Carrie Wall, Manager of Health and International Services at the chapter and Becky Streifler, Director of Health and International Services. Photo by Anthony Vales, volunteer staff for Disaster Services and Marketing & Communications.
As the Manager of Health and International Services at the chapter, Carrie Wall worked hard with a planning committee to create that atmosphere. Her chapter had never held a fundraiser for the Measles Initiative and she wanted to make it a success.

“We started planning a year out, timing our efforts with the planned launch of the vaccination campaign in India,” Wall explains. “We also have a large Indian American community in our area and we saw a great opportunity to reach out and get new volunteers involved in the Initiative.”

Event planning was supported by Colleen Carrell, an International Services intern that had recently graduated from college. Carrell had two close friends with strong ties to the Indian American community, so after the event had been set up, they pooled together their contacts and invited as many people as possible.

“This event was not just about fundraising for the Measles Initiative.,” Wall says. “It is a great asset to our chapter to have a whole new group of people that can support our programs. We are excited to use these volunteers to extend the services we provide to new communities in Chicago.”

The committee’s hard work paid off. In addition to fundraising over $3,300 at the event, the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago raised money through mail and their website from donors that could not attend the event. They added new members to their email lists and have retained volunteers for their other programs. In fact, these new measles advocates were later asked to buy themed Holiday cards to support the Initiative, allowing the chapter to sell fifteen boxes.

Based on this success, the Greater Chicago chapter plans to host another event to raise money for the Measles Initiative. If history is any indication, the event won’t just raise money – it will also be a fun time.

The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization—provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns worldwide. To date, the Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in more than 60 countries helping reduce measles deaths by 74% globally and 89% in Africa (compared to 2000).. To learn more or make a donation, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.