Woof!

Saturdays don't get much better than this:

Puppies

Great Weather

Community Lake and

A Good Cause!

Come out to the 7th Annual 

"Walk 'n Roll" Dog Walk 

this Saturday in support of 

Power Paws Assistance Dogs!

Power Paws provides highly skilled assistance dogs to adults and children with disabilities - How cool!

We'll be there in support with doggie and kittie First Aid goodies and ways to sign up for Pet CPR and First Aid classes. 

Why Support? 

The walk will help raise money and awareness for Power Paws Assistance Dogs so they can continue to be a great resource in the community for people with disabilities.

When: Saturday, January 29, 2011

Cost: $25.00 per person.  Kids under 6 are free.

Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm Registration

Check-in opens at 9:00 am

Where: Tempe Town Lake

See you there with your four-legged friend!

Auschwitz : A Day to Remember

I just learned today that January 27, 2011 marks the 66th anniversary of the Allied forces liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Germany's Third Reich under Adolph Hitler, otherwise known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

Auschwitz Concentration Camp

It so happened that on January 12, 2011, were privileged to have four high school students and their Counselor, Mr. David Dummer, tell us first hand about an Auschwitz experience of their own. Our Grand Canyon Chapter hosted a Lunch & Learn for the students to tell their story.  


A group of 20 students from the Phoenix Country Day School travelled to Eastern Europe in 2009 . As part of their tour, they took an afternoon to view and learn about Aushwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp.  These young students, barely 16 years old at the time, learned about the Holocaust of World War II and the atrocities that were inflicted upon prisoners of Auschwitz-Birkenau as a product of it.

A Note of Thanks

"You have been a blessing in our lives at a time of need."

A military wife and mother wrote those words in a note to a Grand Canyon Chapter caseworker. 

She was barely holding on during her darkest of hours when she called the Red Cross for help. Her family was in crisis. Our family responded. The Red Cross caseworker went above and beyond to ensure she had the help and support she needed. Now that family has hope to hold on to...and can move forward in their recovery.

Paper Preparedness

While many of us are anxiously gathering up financial documents in order to have our taxes prepared, there is often one thing that is commonly overlooked---the safety and security of our financial and personal documents.  

Imagine that your family suffered from a house fire or other natural disaster.  What would you do if all of your birth certificates, paystubs, proofs of insurance, etc. were lost?  

Here at the Grand Canyon Chapter, we see people every day whose lives have been turned upside down by some unforeseen disaster.  Often times, families have their important papers scattered about the house and are unable to retrieve these documents in an emergency.  

Part of being prepared includes having an escape plan and extra supplies, but should also include securing your financial and personal documents so that they can easily be recovered in the event of an emergency.  


Visit the IRS Website to review ways that you can prepare and protect your financial and personal papers in the event of a disaster.

Going The Distance

Arizona Red Crossers learn how to respond to
disasters in a Yuma Public Affairs training course

Every day the Red Cross touches lives and helps people.


I hear about a mother who used CPR to save her daughter. 


I see our volunteers provide care and comfort to disaster victims when they have no where else to turn. 


I walk past a military family who needs financial support to get through a tough time.  


My job at the Red Cross is to make sure you know the impact we're having on people every single day.


One way I do that is through public affairs training.

Being a Superhero

We noticed that heroes have been a huge topic lately. From our own Arizona Daniel Hernandez to these… interesting… local vigilantes who patrol Seattle.  (Yes, they are real life super heroes. AND they donate blood!) Even the Red Cross Southern Arizona Chapter is hunting for local heroes. So we got to thinking: what does it take to be a hero? A cape and some martial art skills? Being ready at a moment's notice? Who’s a good example of a hero?

Look no further than the Red Cross woman who started it all.  Clara Barton.

Clara Barton was a pistol.  She challenged the status quo at home, at school and in the U.S. Patent Office where she earned her living after walking off the job during a dispute over pay at the school she founded (a man was hired and paid more than she was).

MLK Day of Service: Pack the Bus

According to the US Census Bureau one in four Arizona children goes to bed hungry. Also, one in five Arizona households reported not having enough money to buy food that they needed to feed their family. Can you imagine opening your refrigerator and having nothing to choose from? Nobody should be faced with this situation.

With the help of local food banks, people who face hunger now have hope. Desert Mission Food Bank is part of John C. Lincoln hospital and provides food to 1,600 families each month. We chose this food bank because of their incredible impact on the Phoenix area and the increasing demand for their services. Their mission is to provide emergency food assistance in a dignified and respectful manner to all individuals and communities. Check out this great video that explains more about the food bank:

Disaster Services

Disaster strikes in Port au Prince, Haiti, January 2010

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. While the International Red Cross, with the help of your generous support, have made much progress, there is still a lot of work to be done.

This date has brought up many inquiries about disasters and what exactly the Red Cross does when a disaster strikes.

Do you know?

When you hear the term "Disaster Services," what do you think of? Earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires... Katrina may even come to mind.

Here at the Arizona Grand Canyon Chapter, we do indeed respond to “major disasters,” every day in fact!

Being Prepared

Being prepared is important.  With the recent tragedy in Tucson, we have come to see first hand how important preparedness really is. Would you be prepared to take action like Congressional Intern Daniel Hernandez? 

Daniel Hernadez with Rep. Gabrielle
Giffords during her campaign

After Daniel saw that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was seriously wounded, he positioned Giffords so that she would not choke on her own blood. He made sure to apply pressure to both the entry and exit wounds.

Intern Hernandez had some medical training to assist him in this situation. Any training is a step in the right direction. First aid training is available to all citizens who would like to be prepared to step up in an emergency.  

CPR TRAINING:

The Grand Canyon Chapter of the American Red Cross provides first aid training in a variety of sites.  Just go to our website and click on the tab “Take a class." You can choose from a variety of classes, including CPR. You can also find a class close to you by your zip code.  

Maybe by making a commitment to be prepared for emergencies, we can minimize the hurt and protect the future. 

~ Event Coordinator Volunteer Rita Audisio

Polar Bear Plunge

On Your Mark! Get Set! BBBRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Erin here from the Aquatics department telling you to brave a dive for water safety! 

The City of Peoria Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting the third annual Winter Water Safety Day and Polar Plunge this Saturday, January 8^th.  

The event will take place at Sunrise Mountain Pool

 (21321 N. 86th Dr.) from 7:30 – 9:30 am.

It will be chilly out at this year’s Polar Plunge! Participates from around the valley are coming together to promote that drowning prevention is a year-round task.  Here you will find laughs and fun as individuals of all ages plunge into the icy waters, after eating a free hot breakfast cooked by Peoria Firefighters Charities (yes, did I mention Firefighters will be there??) and receiving a free T-Shirt as a trophy honoring their brisk aquatic battle.

We've got three of our very own who are stepping up to the challenge! Steven McGhee (Aquatics & Community Programs Coordinator), Bill Stouppe (Fulfillment Supervisor) and Amanda Pagan (Health & Safety Director) will be participating in this frosty event by jumping into this unheated pool, with temperatures projected to be near 40 – 50 degrees, and swimming 25 yards as fast as frozenly possible toward warm showers that beckon them at the end!!