staff writer
05/27/09
Amy Garmon
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Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood, equivalent to 38,000 blood donations needed daily. The American Red Cross, founded in 1881, celebrated providing 128 years of service May 21. The local chapter in Graves County, which also serves Fulton, Carlisle, and Hickman Counties, sponsored a “Walk for Red” to raise money for the organization. The American Red Cross supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood supply, however the blood program was not organized until 1940. The organization was founded by Clara Barton at the age of 60, who led the organization for the next 23 years. Near the end of Barton’s tenure as head of the organization, recipients of help from the American Red Cross included members of the armed forces, prisoners of war, and Cuban refugees, making it the first time the Red Cross had provided assistance to armed forces and civilians during war time. Other services provided by the Red Cross include, health and safety classes, military services, and support for disaster victims. The humanitary organization consists of volunteers and is guided by a Congressional Charter and the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross Movement. The common goal of the Red Cross is to provide relief to victims of disaster and to help prevent, prepare, and respond to emergencies.
