(L to R) Red Cross volunteer Sonya Carlson, Chief Development Officer Lynn Speral, Chief Operating Officer Sandy Glas, and Mission Support Manager Glenn Gress enjoy some Maple Macadamia Mash Up Ice Cream.

Wow! What an end to All Star Celebrity Apprentice. The last two contestants are standing and it’s Trace Adkins and Penn Jillette! Penn’s a great competitor, but we love Trace and the voice he’s given to disaster victims the last several weeks. He’s represented the Red Cross with integrity and lots of heart and we’re cheering him on to the finish line.

We’re not just cheering him on, we’re ready to put our money where our mouth is-literally-and we hope you will too. This week’s task involved Trace and Penn developing custom ice cream flavors for the Walgreens Delish brand. Team Trace developed “Maple Macadamia Mash Up“, based on his favorite candy flavor-maple nut. (Team Trace also had to create a commercial for the ice cream, which featured Gary Busey busting a move because the ice cream is so good. I can’t wait to see the final product next week.)

If Trace’s flavor is the top seller this week, he’ll win an extra $100,000 for the Red Cross and disaster victims around the nation. That’s 10,000 meals for disaster victims or 20,000 blankets for people who stay in our shelters. That also means you don’t have to ask me twice to buy ice cream.

So get yourself down to a Walgreens this week and pick up Maple Macadamia Mash Up. When you do, make sure you tweet some photos of yourself enjoying that creamy goodness. Not only will you help the Red Cross and propel Trace to the top of the boardroom, but you can also rest assured that, somewhere in America, Gary Busey is doing a happy dance. That should make everyone smile.

An Emergency Response Vehicle in a south Fargo neighborhood as sandbags are layed down for flood preparations.

Floods are the most frequent and costliest natural disasters in the United States in terms of human hardship and economic loss. Often the full extent of flood damage is not immediately known. High water levels mask damage to infrastructure and force residents from their homes for days, sometimes weeks, at a time. The American Red Cross has been delivering food, water and snacks to volunteers at sandbag operations.

Beginning in early April,  the American Red Cross has been providing meals, snacks, and prepared shelters across North  Dakota and Western Minnesota in response to flooding in the Red  River Valley. Disaster volunteers have been trained in mass care feeding, sheltering, damage assessment, and client casework.

Volunteer Dave Jeffries made the trip from the Rapid City, South Dakota to help with mobile feeding.

Mobile feeding was the biggest and most important ask the Red Cross provided during the 2013 flood figh in the Red River Valley. Five emergency response vehicles were sent out to feed volunteers, city officials, and national guard members in the area.

Over 30,000 meals and snacks were distributed during the flood preparations.

“You’re out here for up to 12 hours and to have somebody bringing you a sandwich and something to drink is just kind of special,” said Sgt Shannon Welsh of the ND National Guard. “On cold mornings to have someone come through with a hot cup of coffee and a smile is always a plus.”

The American Red Cross Minn-Kota Region continues to make preparations for the upcoming flood response all across the Red River Valley. The Red Cross has a number of volunteers in place to perform mobile feeding as sandbag operations continue.

To Date, the Red Cross has provided over 3,000 meals and 16,000 snacks to support sandbagging efforts up and down the Red River Valley. A majority of those meals and snacks have gone to ‘Sandbag Central’ in Fargo. Starting tomorrow (Wednesday, April 24^th), the Red Cross will be sending out Emergency Response Vehicles to support mobile feeding for sandbagging operations in Halstad, MN and Shelley, MN.

Starting on Thursday, April 25^th, Four Emergency Response Vehicles from the Minn-kota Region and Two ERV’s from the South Dakota Region will be doing feeding all across Clay and Cass counties. The feeding will be performed by trained volunteers.

“We are prepared and ready to assist all communities throughout the Red River Valley as needs arise,” said Regional CEO, Judy Green. “Supplies, volunteers, and staff are on-call 24 hours a day.”

There will also has a team of mental health professionals on duty to assist those struggling with flood concerns and contingency plans are in place for sheltering should a need arise.

The Red Cross is also encouraging people to be prepared for any circumstances that could occur. The three keys are to remain calm, stay connected, and in control during these challenging times.

The American Red Cross is an organization that the people of Minot remember well. Just two years ago, a large part of the city was under water. At that time, the Red Cross was there to assist people with food, clothing, and shelter.

This past week, Jim Hill Middle School held a ‘Heroes Week’ with students raising funds by selling ‘Red Cross’ squares.

They raised over $1,100 for disaster relief, filling up an entire wall at the school with the squares that were sold.

“We certainly appreciate everything all the young people in this community do for us,” said Mid-Dakota Chapter Executive Director Allan McGeough. “The students at Jim Hill are making a difference and we can’t thank them enough how much their support means to us.”

Students at Erik Ramstad School will be holding a ‘Heroes Week as well April 22nd-26th to raise money for the Red Cross as well.

Buffalo Valley Chapter Volunteer Hero Awards(L to R). Jeff Wolsky, Phyllis Thompson, Quincy Baken receiving for Dave Smette.

The Buffalo Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross held its 6^th Annual ‘Heroes Night’ this past Friday at the Gladstone Inn & Suites in Jamestown. The event raises funds for Red Cross disaster relief and honors ‘heroes’ in the community.

The Buffalo Valley Board of Directors along with the Heroes Committee choose the recipients based on service to the Red Cross in the community. Three ‘Heroes’ were chosen for 2013. They are David Smette, Phyllis Thompson, and Jeff Wolsky.

Smette has been a volunteer with the Red Cross since the spring of 2009. He has been trained to assist with Disaster Assessment, Feeding, assisting in an Emergency Operation Center and as an Emergency Response Vehicle Driver. Smette has assisted with feeding sandbaggers during the flooding in 2009, 2010, 2011, feeding emergency personnel during a search and recovery operation in Foster County, and feeding emergency personnel during a search and recovery operation in Stutsman County. He also drove an Emergency Response Vehicle 1700 miles three days after Hurricane Sandy hit landfall to assist many families, first responders, and military. Upon returning from his deployment for Hurricane Sandy Dave was a guest speaker at many local civic organizations and local media sharing of his experiences during his deployment. When he returned from volunteering 12 plus hours a day for 14 days out east he stated, “I am ready for my next assignment that was fun!”

Thompson is the General Manager for the Gladstone Inn & Suites has been instrumental is the ‘Rooms for Red Cross’ program. For the past three years, she has supported this program by donating hotel rooms to be used for families affected by a disaster. With her support , the Red Cross has been able to secure new motels with the donations of rooms. Jamestown secured over 70 rooms thanks to her help, second most of any community in state of North Dakota.

Wolsky has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for over 12 years. He serves as a Disaster Action Team leader and is on call 24 hours a day to serve the community. He has responded to fires, assisting not only the families affected by fire, but also providing food and hydration to fire fighters. Wolsky has also assisted with feeding during flood responses and even provided assistance with shelters for stranded winter travelers. Whether it is 3 o’clock in the morning or 3 o’clock in the afternoon, 100 degrees and humid or 30 below zero, Wolsky is there to serve.

“We are so thankful for these great volunteers,” said Buffalo Valley Chapter Executive Director, Beth Dewald. “We could not serve our mission without their continued support and they truly are heroes in our community.”

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month and a great opportunity for pet owners to brush up on tips from the American Red Cross to keep their animals safe and healthy as we head into spring and summer.

HEAT STROKE

Heat stroke is one of the most common problems pets face in the warmer weather when they are not yet used to the warm temperatures. Pet owners should remember that the inside of a car can quickly reach 120 degrees in warm weather and should not leave their animals in the car, even during short trips. This can quickly lead to heat stroke. The signs of heat stroke include:

• Heavy panting and being unable to calm down, even when lying down.
• The pet’s gums may be brick red, they may have a fast pulse rate, or they may not be able to get up.

If someone suspects their pet has heat stroke, they should take the pet’s temperature rectally. If the temperature is above 105 degrees Fahrenheit, they should cool the animal down. The easiest way to do this is by using the water hose. Stop cooling the animal when the temperature reaches 103 degrees. Bring the pet to the veterinarian immediately as heat stroke can lead to severe organ dysfunction and damage.

OTHER HAZARDS

Open doors and windows can be hazardous to a pet. The animal may try to get outside, increasing the risk of falling from windows or being hit by a vehicle. Some plants and flowers can be hazardous. For instance, many lilies are very poisonous to cats. Visit the ASPCA Poison Control web site to find out which plants and flowers are poisonous to animals. If someone thinks their animal is ill or may have ingested a poisonous substance, they should contact their veterinarian.

PET FIRST AID

Courses are available at many Red Cross chapters on how to care for your pet. The Red Cross has also developed Dog First Aid and Cat First Aid Guides with DVDs that teach basic responsibilities like spaying/neutering and giving medications, to performing CPR and preparing for disasters. Visit Redcross.org/training or call 1-800 RED CROSS to see when classes are available. The Guides are available through the Red Cross Store.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR PET HEALTHY

Pet owners can follow these important steps to help keep their pet healthy:

• Give pets plenty of exercise.
• Make sure they have plenty of fresh, cool water.
• Make sure they get regular yearly checkups with their veterinarian, and are up to date on vaccines, especially rabies.
• Get pets spayed or neutered.
• Keep dogs on leashes outside – another animal may be too much temptation
• Know how to perform CPR and provide basic first aid until veterinary care is available

EMERGENCIES AND YOUR PET

Don’t forget to include pets in planning for emergencies in your home or neighborhood:

• Make plans to take your pets with you if you have to evacuate.
• Most Red Cross shelters cannot accept pets because of health and safety concerns and other considerations. Know which friends, relatives, hotels, boarding facilities will accept pets in an emergency.
• Assemble an easy-to-carry kit with emergency supplies for pets: Leashes, harnesses and/or carriers
• Food, drinking water, bowls, manual can opener
• Medications and copies of medical records
• Current photos of the pets

Pet First Aid Awareness Month is a great time for people to learn how to protect their pet and keep them healthy. More information on how to keep pets in good health are located on the Red Cross Pets and Disaster Safety Checklist.