4 LIFESAVING STEPS-

ADDITIONAL WATER SAFETY TIPS-

About the American Red Cross:

Red Cross is a featured non-profit organization in APX Alarm’s ‘The APX Gives Back’ Project, which is supporting the charity of the people’s choice.

Go and log onto, or make, your own account at www.facebook.com to vote for The American Red Cross El Paso Area Chapter to help us continue to give back to our community.

1) Become a fan of APX Alarm at www.facebook.com/apxalarm and watch a featured video of APX’s goal and how it plans to make it there.

2) The Nominees and endorsements for El Paso American red Cross have already been made.

3) Between now and August 21st vote for your favorite charity/non-profit organization. Voting is limited to one vote per day per account. So vote for us every day!

4) The winners of your selection will be announced August 23rd at the voting site: www.facebook.com/apxalarm

*The local charity with the most overall votes will receive $100,000

**The top remaining charities in each region will receive $30,000

Like our volunteers, any and all votes count.

Red Cross Providing Assistance to 35 Clients
After Pinon Trail Apartment Fire

Requests Financial Support from the Community

EL PASO, TX – March 6, 2010 -- The American Red Cross El Paso is requesting monetary donations to meet urgent disaster relief needs following a massive fire that destroyed the homes of eight El Paso families – 35 individuals. An estimated $17,000 is needed now.

The Red Cross volunteers and staff responded to Saturday’s fire immediately, providing counseling for the victims as well as mass care for the first responders. Twenty-one fire units responded. Now, the Red Cross is trying to meet all the families’ emergency needs including food, shelter, clothing, winter coats, shoes, bedding, and medications. This assistance is provided in the form of a Client Assistance Card that empowers clients to purchase the specific emergency items they need most. This assistance is made possible through the generosity of the local El Paso community, and the Red Cross is requesting financial support to ensure that every family receives the support they need to begin immediate recovery. Client caseworkers will be available to provide counseling, activate the client assistance cards, and provide referrals to other services that families may need.

“To see the face of despair in the faces of these families is to see why the emergency services we provide are so valuable,” said Mark Matthys, Executive Director for American Red Cross El Paso. “We pick them up, give them a big hug, and tell them we are here to deliver hope. That hope is delivered by our supporters who care deeply; who expect us to turn their compassion into action. These families have lost everything, but it’s up to us to get them back on the path to recovery – to show them that they can return to normal life quickly.”

Help people affected by disasters like this apartment fire by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to victims of all disasters. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter at 3620 Admiral Street, El Paso, TX 79925. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org or www.redcrosselpaso.org.

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El Paso Entertainers for Haiti Perform Band Aid at Bassett Place
to Benefit Red Cross Relief

WHEN:         Saturday, February 27, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

WHERE:       Bassett Place Mall, near the Food Court

WHAT:          Band Aid at Bassett, a full day of entertainment by people who want to lend a hand to Haiti

WHO:           El Paso Entertainers for Haiti: LAT Studios, Silk Flamingo, Jose Luis Quesada, Grupo Skarabajo, Trevesura Musical, Mariachi Orgullo De El Paso, We B Fore, Midnight Mist Band, La Avenida, Chapter 13, Dos Illuciones, River City Band, and more to be announced.

  El Paso Entertainers for Haiti announced the first in a Hope for Haiti series of events designed to raise money for the Haiti relief efforts of the American Red Cross. A wide cross-section of family-friendly bands will perform, and volunteers from the Red Cross, area Police Explorers and UTEP will be on hand to accept financial donations. A special Hope for Haiti T-Shirt will be available for a minimum $10.00 donation. Drawings for great prizes will be held regularly throughout the day, and tickets for the drawings may be purchased for $5.00 each. Donation packages including T-Shirt, extra chance tickets and Red Cross lapel pins will also be available.

  Sponsors include: CDT Confidential Drug Testing, Images by TARA, Oracle Payment Processing, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, Exa 98.3, Magia 100.7, Scorpion Sales, Du Motion Audio-Visual, G&C Productions and Bassett Place.

           The American Red Cross in partnership with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is responding to help meet the needs of earthquake survivors in Haiti who have been dealt a devastating blow by Mother Nature.

People who want to help those affected by the Haitian earthquake can make a donation to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund at Redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.  The Red Cross is also receiving money through a third party mobile fundraising effort sponsored by Mobile Accord.  Mobile donors can text “ Haiti ” to 90999 to send a ten dollar donation to the Red Cross.  The funds will go to support the Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti .

The American Red Cross is contributing an initial $1 million from its International Response Fund to support the relief operation.  The Red Cross is releasing supplies from our warehouse in Panama that will be able to meet the immediate needs of 5,000 families.  Included are traps, mosquito nets and cooking sets.  American Red Cross National Headquarters has deployed six disaster management specialists to the disaster zone to help coordinate relief.  They join the staff we already have on the ground in Haiti .  At this time, we are only deploying Red Cross volunteers specially trained to manage international emergency operations.  Please consider supporting our community’s needs by volunteering with our local Red Cross El Paso.

Please forward this to your friends and co-workers to help raise funds to help the survivors of the Haitian earthquake!

Bone chilling temperatures have gripped much of the country, and the American Red Cross urges everyone to be safe and prepare as much as possible. Many are looking to cut down on expenses when temperatures drop and home-heating costs rise. “There is usually an increase in home fires at this time of year because of the use of candles and space heaters,” said Scott Conner, Red Cross senior vice president for Preparedness and Health and Safety Services. “We have steps people can follow to reduce their risk of starting a fire in their home, and still cut down on their heating bills.”

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is a national observance that was established to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season into January and beyond. This year's NIVW (originally scheduled for December 6-10, 2009) is now rescheduled for January 10-16, 2010. Every year, certain days of NIVW are designated to highlight the importance for different groups like health care workers and children to get vaccinated. Visit the NIVW website (http://www.flu.gov/news/nivw.html) for more information and to download resources, including media toolkits, web banners, posters, handouts, and much more.

This holiday season, when people really want their gifts to matter, the Red Cross El Paso is kicking off a new holiday campaign that offers a way to give a gift that has real impact. Gifts that Save the Day is a new holiday giving campaign that inspires people to make a gift that can save the day for those in need. Through the online catalog at www.redcross.org/gifts, people can make a donation that could provide food and shelter for a disaster victim for a day; a military comfort kit with a robe, phone card and other supplies for a wounded warrior; or a month of basic necessities for a family in another country who lost everything in a disaster. Click here for more.

On December 4, 2009, Operation Homefront, through the generosity of a major retailer, will provide a "no-cost" shopping day for toys at the El Paso Coliseum from 8am to 8 pm. Operation Homefront wants to make sure that military kids wake up to huge smiles and happy hearts this holiday season. Through partnerships and generosity, we will provide toys for children between 12 months and 10 years of age.

If you would like to volunteer for Operation Homefront on Dec. 4, please contact the American Red Cross office by phone at 592-0208, or e-mail at waider@usa.redcross.org.

On October 31, the El Paso Carolina Center is hosting their 3^rd Annual Safe Halloween Carnival where there will be games, booths, and, yes, CANDY for the kids! Every Halloween, the threat of cars racing through the streets as children zig-zag to offering houses scares every parent in El Paso . Combined with the efforts of various organizations (including American Red Cross), the Carolina Center is working to keep kids from roaming the cold, dangerous streets and into shelter for jumping balloons, a costume contest, games and music for all, and free goodie bags. The Carolina Center is located on

Thursday, October 15, is Global Hand Washing Day. Over the last few years since its inception, Global Hand Washing Day promotes health through simple acts of hygiene. With the threat of another H1N1-virus outbreak already prevalent, we all must stay conscious of our surroundings and cleanliness. For more information about the day and how to stay healthy with hygiene, visit www.globalhandwashingday.org/.

Southwest Airlines Employees have partnered with the American Red Cross to show their “LUV” to 10,000 people displaced by disasters across the nation. In an unprecedented show of support, the Dallas-based air carrier, currently headquartered at Love Field, encouraged employees to “Share the Spirit” by collecting, assembling and distributing “Comfort Kits” to Red Cross chapters in all 67 cities the airline serves.;

            Here in El Paso , Southwest employees will drop off the kits at the Red Cross El Paso Chapter on Friday, October 9, 2009 at 2pm.

            Comfort kits are essential to Red Cross disaster response, particularly those impacted by a home fire, the most common disaster Red Cross responses to on a daily basis. In El Paso, Red Cross helps approximately 700 people affected by disasters each year, and serves 400 wounded warriors assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Bliss .

            “The Red Cross is grateful to the employees at Southwest Airlines for donating essential items that will help individuals affected by disasters,” says Joe Becker, Senior Vice President, Disaster Services, American Red Cross. “Often when we arrive on the scene of a disaster, we’re met by people who have nothing left except what they wore to bed. Being able to provide for their most basic and immediate needs, will truly bring comfort to the 100,000 people who receive these kits.”

            The white bags marked with the Red Cross logo, contain personal hygiene supplies such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, combs, razors and more. The Red Cross provides kits to every family affected by a home fire and are often made available to people at Red Cross shelters. The Red Cross El Paso has partnered with the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces station at William Beaumont Army Medical Center to prepare and deliver backpacks containing toiletry kits, blankets, comfort kits, calendars and other essential items to the Warrior Transition Battalion.

            “Southwest Airlines employees work hard every day to do the right thing. Share their spirit, and give generously of their time and their hearts,” said Linda Rutherford, Vice President of Communication and Strategic Outreach for Southwest Airlines. “We value our partnership with the Red Cross, and we know the vital role the Red Cross plays in helping people recover from disasters. We are honored to support their efforts.”

Sports Illustrated…Randy Moss…Yoplait…And American Red Cross?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Along with thousands of other equally-important supporters, Red Cross would like to promote the awareness of breast cancer.

Information for related events and screening locations can be found at a jointly sponsored website: www.nbcam.org.

October 4-10 is Fire Prevention Week 2009, backed by the National Fire Protection Association’s character ‘Sparky the Dog’ and slogan: ‘Stay Fire Smart, Don’t Get Burned!’

Fire Prevention Week stresses the importance of being prepared for a fire at any location (i.e. home, school, work) and, specifically, knowing how to prevent a fire.

NFPA’s website (www.nfpa.org) offers many tips and facts designed to reduce fire deaths, injury, and property loss for you and your family.

And throughout the rest 10/2-10/9 week, El Paso Fire Department is providing the public with free fire detectors. They can be picked up with a photo ID and are limited one per house-hold.

Oct. 5, Fire Station 3, at 721 E. Rio Grance

Oct. 6, Fire Station 4 at 1218 Randolph

Oct. 7, Fire Station 12 at

Oct. 8, Fire Station 23 at 5315 Treadgill

Oct. 9, Fire Station 15 at

AND 10/2-10/9 at Fire Department HQ at 8600 Montana