CPR For Cats, By Cats.

Soon I'm taking up cat-sitting duty, including daily walks with a leash. Therefore, I couldn't resist! .....the lolcat:

So....Have You Met Maree?

For those of you that work in our office, Maree's is surely a familiar face. And for those of you who read The Oregonian, well, you probably recognize her as well.

Why?

Because yesterday's paper featured a nice article about Ms. Wacker and the vision she has as the new CEO for our organization.

Want to know more? Read it right here.

Sharing is Caring

Every year, nearly 5 million people in the U.S. receive a blood transfusion...are you one of those people?

If you live in the Pacific Northwest area and you have a story that you'd like to share about being a recipient of blood or platelets, please email me at trullingert@usa.redcross.org.

Your story could inspire others to help save lives through blood donation.

Photo courtesy of emrank

Our Hillsboro Mitigation Project By The Numbers!

Together We Prepare Hillsboro was our weekend project that's received a few posts already. To truly see the accomplishments of this event, here are the numbers for supplies we distributed, people we connected with and information we gave out:

• 62 volunteer and employee staff took the weekend to prepare Hillsboro
• 81 households have working smoke detectors that didn't before
• 500 first aid kits were distributed to individuals in Hillsboro
• 1456 families received emergency preparedness information
• 686 people had direct contact with a Red Cross canvasser

We also heard conversations on how the Red Cross impacted lives throughout this Hillsboro neighborhood; whether through skills gained through classes, receiving blood donations or reaching out to family members in the military.

Our walkers were invited into homes to check on fire safety issues such as working smoke alarms or to change batteries. Back at the Cooler Club headquarters, several additional people noticed our Red Cross canopies and were reached as well through information, smoke detectors and first aid kits. Lastly, one family we met stressed the timeliness of this project, as they had just experienced a house fire themselves.

This event could not have happened without the coordinated efforts of many dedicated staff members and volunteers.

This little boy was excited to take on the role of preparedness coordinator for his entire household.

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you...

[The place names link to maps so that you can get a quick idea of the region.]


TAJIKISTAN: Red Crescent workers are helping construct a whole new village for 4,000 people who lost their homes to mudslides a few months ago.

Located at the foothilss of the Pamir mountains, Tajikistan is quite vulnerable to natural disasters - experiencing events such as earthquakes, mud and landslides, floods, droughts or cold waves up to 50 times per year.

THE MALDIVES: Speaking of building entire communities, check out this video from our colleague Eric Porterfield's visit to the island the Red Cross rebuilt for tsunami survivors.

BURKINA FASO: In an area where half of all doctor visits are due to Malaria, the IFRC has stepped up mosquito net distribution - handing out 60,000 nets in just the first week of July.

BENIN, GHANA, and the CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: An early warning system allowed IFRC workers to pre-position relief supplies in areas that would soon be flooded. That means more rapid distribution of aid for more than 13,000 people who have been affected.


GLOSSARY:
ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

20-Minute Neighborhoods and Emergency Response: A Potluck Presentation Tonight

A 20-minute neighborhood is one in which "you can walk to essential amenities and services in 20 minutes." These "essential amenities" typicall refer to restaurants, schools, parks and other daily life kind of places. By this definition, Portland has quite a few of these 20-minute neighborhoods.

But in a disaster "essential" takes on another meaning. Hospitals, fire stations, and supply staging areas become daily needs. Having these resources nearby is particularly important in Portland - a city divided into multiple sections by rivers and bridges.

That's why it's great that Jeremy O'Leary - local sustainability and GIS mapping buff - is giving a potluck presentation tonight on building resilient 20-minute neighborhoods that integrate emergency response.

Check out Jeremy's 20-minute neighborhood mapping slideshow before you go, and be sure to bring a snack for the potluck!

TONIGHT - Wednesday, July 15

7:00pm - 9:00pm
St. Francis Dining Hall, 1182 SE Pine St.

A Little Laugh To Start Your Day

Thanks to our friend Dede for yet another great CPR-themed comic our way...

Via DailyINK.com

If you want to brush up on your "dance moves," sign up for a short review class.

Together We Prepare Hillsboro

Just in case you weren't able to join us in Hillsboro, here are a few photos I snapped during the this weekend's festivities:

Red Cross Spotting: Loïe Fuller

We've noted before that the Red Cross pops up everywhere. That's why we created the "Red Cross Spotting" Flickr pool, so that when you spot a cross, you can snap a pic and post it yourself.

So I've ceased to be surprised when the Red Cross rears its head...even on my weekends, even out with friends and even in the middle of the Columbia River Gorge.

Those of you that know me know of my love for Chuck Palahniuk's Fugitives and Refugees, a rather unconventional guide to Portland and the surrounding area. In it, Chuck details places of interest that often go under the radar; and this weekend, we thought to check out a few while guests were in town.

One of the spots we hit was the Maryhill Museum, about two hours east of Portland (but actually up in Washington). You can read all about the museum right here.

One of the museum's founders was Loïe Fuller, and there's an extensive exhibit of memorabilia from her lifetime as an actress, dancer and choreographer. Let me tell you, this woman was absolutely fascinating...perhaps she even influenced the more recent projects of Christo and Jeanne-Claude?

In any case, Loïe -- in addition to all of her creative work -- also raised money for the Red Cross and was photographed several times in Red Cross nursing uniforms, as you'll see above.

I snapped the pic (no flash, I promise!) in the museum, but I'd urge you to check out all of Maryhill's exhibits in person yourself!

"Wii-PR?"

So...just like Lise is fairly certain the writers for The Office read our blog (see here, here and here) ...I'm pretty sure Nintendo's game developers are following us as well.

Earlier this year, I wrote about the health benefits the Wii can provide and now recent news has triggered a second post concerning the Wii's role in health. This time it's CPR-specific!

According to Newsweek, the American Heart Association has pledged $50,000 towards the creation of a Wii game that teaches CPR using only a Wii remote and a screen! The research team, four biomedical engineering students from the University of Alabama, have a difficult task ahead of them.

As an instructor, it's my opinion that learning CPR solely from a video game (with a pillow or basketball as alternates to a manikin) won't provide adequate training. I DO however, see this as an exciting opportunity to inspire Wii gamers to sign up for a class. It also would function great as a refresher for those already trained in CPR.

More First Aid Myths From The Oregonian

The Oregonian agrees: some of what you "know" about First Aid is probably wrong.

This weekend's article even puts some hard stats behind that hunch:

More than half of 654 parents in a recent survey answered incorrectly some basic questions about treating burns, insect stings and bites. Three-fourths held mistaken notions about treating cuts and scrapes.

Wow. That's a lot!

Thankfully the Oregonian also does a little myth-busting on the subjects of: bee stings, scrapes, splinters, sunburns, drowning and snakebites. Read up, then take a class.

A Thank You to Blood Donors

A few months ago, I told you about a brave little boy from Portland named Alex who was battling cancer. Alex's fight with T-Cell Lymphoma and his need for blood transfusions continues today. Below is a blog comment and a 'thank you' to blood donors that I received from Alex's mom.

Tara,

Alex is back in the hospital, and just received another transfusion of whole blood. Please pass on our sincere Thank You's to all the donors who help make our hope of Alex beating this cancer a reality. Please thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

Sincerely,

Sara, Alex's mom.

Remember, blood donors, that you really are helping to save lives like Alex's each time you give blood. Recipients, their friends and family, and the Red Cross are grateful for your selflessness and generosity.

To help save lives through blood donation, please make an appointment by calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or by visiting http://www.givelife.org/.

To learn more about Alex and his battle with cancer, visit his mom's blog called Alex's Battle.

Photo taken of Alex in March of 2009

8 Common First Aid Mistakes And Myths That Make Things Worse

Have you ever put butter on a burn or heat on a sprained ankle? Well, chances are you were making the injury worse rather than better.

A friend sent me this list of eight basic First Aid myths that can actually cause more harm than good. It covers burns, seizures, sprains, snake bites, nose bleeds, vitamin overdoses, choking and fevers, and it's pretty much in line with what our First Aid instructors teach.

The only thing I think we'd add is to try a couple of solid back blows before attempting abdominal thrusts (aka "Heimlich Maneuver") on a choking person.

Of course, if you want more in depth training and practice, you can always take a class.


photo via flickr's eschipul

Live to Give This Summer

KGW news reporter Drew Carney donated blood live on the air on Friday, July 3, at the Red Cross Portland Donor Center. Guided by Daphne Mathew, our blood services Communications Director, Drew took viewers through the blood donation process, all the way up to his very own donation.

Drew’s blood donation helped jumpstart the "Live to Give Summer Blood Drive," a partnership with the Red Cross PNW Blood Services, KGW, and the Portland Marriott. Together our goal is to collect 30,000 units of blood between July 1 and August 18. To accomplish this, we really need your help.

Click here to see the full video of Drew at the Red Cross. Thanks to Drew for helping to save lives through blood donation and for kicking off the Live to Give Summer Blood Drive!

For more information about the Live to Give campaign, click here or here.

Weekend Plans...

What are you doing this weekend?

Whether you're in Hillsboro or North Portland, you're bound to see Red Crossers out in the community, doing good things.

For example, in Hillsboro, we're going door-to-door to educate residents about the importance of safety and preparedness. No, we're not asking for donations...we're actually GIVING AWAY FREE STUFF.

Yep, we'll be gifting residents free swag including smoke alarms, batteries and first aid kits. We'll also be talking to them about how to make sure their homes are safe and that they're prepared for anything.

We'll also be talking about preparedness (and the importance of donating blood and getting trained) at the Mississippi Avenue Street Fair on Saturday. This is a huge event and it's right down the street from our offices. If I wasn't already working Together We Prepare Hillsboro, you better believe that's where I'd be hanging out.

So look for us this weekend, no matter where you're located. We always like meeting our online peeps!

Attention Creative Types!

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wants you. Or at least she wants your educational video.



Start making your PSA today -- you've got until August 17 to submit. And the grand prize isn't too shabby; $2,500 for spreading the word instead of a virus.