This Saturday! Watch and Support Miss Oregon in the 2012 Miss America Competition!

In our ongoing partnership with Miss Oregon Caroline McGowan, we'd like to invite everyone to watch and support her this Saturday night as she promotes her Red Cross platform in the Miss America competition! The competition airs on ABC on January 14, 2012 at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET)

Additionally, if you haven't already done so, please view, vote for and share Caroline's Miss America video contest submission! She showcases local roots (and some impressive whistling talent) in her parody video of an award-winning Old Spice ad, featuring Portland actor Isaiah Mustafa and created by acclaimed Portland ad agency Weiden+Kennedy.

Please click this link to view her video, vote for Miss Oregon and spread the word as she represents the Red Cross this Saturday at the Miss America competition!

Why Should Red Cross Emergency Gear Look So Sexy?

If the beauty was just skin deep, the American Red Cross wouldn't have put their brand on Eton's Turbodyne series.

During a blackout, earthquake, or other scary emergency, aesthetics are likely to be the last thing on your mind. But that doesn't mean they don't still serve an important purpose, as Eton's Turbodyne series of American Red Cross-branded emergency gear shows. Designed by Whipsaw, this gear is to getting out of a jam what the iPod is to pumping out the jams: form married to function in the best possible way.

The industrial design of the Turbodyne set was meant "to be more emotional and more appealing than the typical emergency tool, so that people wanted to own them and use them on a regular basis, even when [there is] no emergency," Whipsaw president Dan Harden tells Co.Design. Indeed, these look more like designer toys than dependable tools at first glance. But that emotional appeal has a serious purpose, Harden explains: "Pride of ownership also means they will more likely be out and ready for use instead of being relegated to the basement or the emergency kit."

"On emergency products, non-ornamental and informative aesthetics can play an important functional and human factors role," Harden continues. "Bold forms, expressive details and high contrast colors can express function and operation so clearly that it takes no thought to find and use the product - which is of course good in an emergency when you just can’t think." For additional information on the products in this series, or to make a purchase, go to the American Red Cross store.

(Excerpted from an article by John Pavlus; originally printed by Fast Company Design at http://www.fastcodesign.com/)

2011 Year in Pictures from the American Red Cross

From responding to record-breaking tornadoes, to rebuilding in Haiti, to teaching lifesaving skills to 11,000 people on Gabrielle Giffords Honorary Save-a-Life Saturday, 2011 has been a busy year for the American Red Cross, as seen in these photos.

Fire Hurts: Red Cross Helps

On Thursday, January 05, 2012 at 8:19pm, Oregon Red Cross volunteer Kenneth Rislow responded with humanitarian assistance to a duplex fire in the 700 block of Erie Avenue, Astoria, OR. On site Red Cross volunteers assisted one adult, one child and a dog by providing, free of charge, assistance with immediate lodging, food, comfort kit, and information about Health and Mental Health services to insure the safety and well-being of those displaced in this fire.

On Friday, January 06, 2012 at 3:08am, volunteers from the Oregon Red Cross also responded with humanitarian assistance to a 2-alarm house fire in the 3300 block of SW Golf Course Road, Cornelius, OR. Red Cross volunteers assisted two adults and three dogs by providing, free of charge, immediate lodging, food, clothing, comfort kits and information about Health and Mental Health service to insure the safety and well-being of those displaced in this fire.

Firefighters determined the blaze was caused from an electrical malfunction near an electrical panel, located in the residence's garage, said Matt Johnston, a Forest Grove Fire & Rescue inspector who serves as a spokesman for the Cornelius Fire Department. Johnston said the initial damage estimate to the home is $30,000.

Johnston also said the home did not have any smoke alarms, so the residents were fortunate to notice the fire. Firefighters encourage residents to have a working alarm on each floor and outside bedrooms.

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. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

SOMALIA: In response to ongoing armed clashes in the Middle Juba region of southern Somalia, the ICRC has sent urgently needed emergency medical supplies over the past few days to various medical facilities on both sides of the front line in Kismayo, Afmadow and Dhobley. In cooperation with local treatment facilities, the ICRC will continue to closely assess surgical and other medical needs in the coming days and weeks.

SYRIA: The situation in Syria has continued to deteriorate, especially in the past week, and violence is taking a heavy toll, leaving hundreds of people dead or wounded. Since June of this year, when the ICRC was granted greater access to the areas of unrest, the organization has been providing medical aid, food aid, and other basic items for the people affected. Over the past eight months the ICRC and Syrian Arab Red Crescent have distributed at least 14,000 family sized one month food parcels, 30,000 school kits, 1,400 hygiene kits, medical supplies, hospital support, drought relief, and legal workshops concerning international humanitarian and human rights laws.

PHILLIPINES: An outbreak of the deadly bacteria Leptospirosis has highlighted the dramatic and ongoing needs of the tens of thousands of people in northern Mindanao, the most prominent island in the southern Phillipines, who were displaced and affected by Typhoon Washi. The Philippine Red Cross has deployed health staff and mobilized additional volunteers and resources in an effort to help limit the outbreak.

AFGHANISTAN: At the ICRC's Orthopedic Center in Kabul, playing wheelchair basketball is a welcome diversion for both patients and staff. The patients had been playing basketball together for some time, but it was more like 'buzkashi' – the ferocious no-holds-barred local equivalent of polo. Inspired by a training course they received in May of 2010 by West Linn-native wheelchair basketball player and coach Jess Markt, the players have practiced together every week since then.


GLOSSARY:

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

The Stormtroopers vs. Klingons drive was OUT OF THIS WORLD!

The 2nd Annual Stormtroopers vs. Klingons blood drive was OUT OF THIS WORLD! A huge thanks to Rachel Stark at The Oregonian for writing this incredible feature, to the outstanding efforts from members of Cloud City Garrison (The 501st Legion) and Kashyyyk Base, from Starfleet International, Think Geek, KGW, KPTV, Portland Mercury, Willamette Week, PDX PIPELINE, Portland Pulp and"tweet support" from Portlandia!

But don't take it from us...follow us to @RedCrossBloodNW and see what our other "twitter critics" are saying about the sequel!

Make Being Prepared One Of Your New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many people look forward to the New Year, a fresh start and what they would like to change to make their lives better. Many resolve to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier. The Oregon Red Cross asks that everyone resolve to make 2012 the year they get prepared, to be “Red Cross Ready” when emergencies happen.

Families can look ahead and determine how to deal with disasters, whether it be a fire in the home or something that affects their entire neighborhood. They need to know what emergencies are most likely to happen in their area. Knowing what to do when disaster strikes can make a difference for everyone in your household and your community. To be prepared, you should:

1. Get a kit. If you’ve ever had to search for your flashlight when the power goes out, you know what it feels like to be unprepared. The Red Cross has a downloadable checklist to help you assemble your emergency preparedness kit. It should include the following:

Ready-To-Go Emergency Preparedness Kit

• A three-day supply of non-perishable food and water—one gallon per person, per day for drinking and hygiene purposes.
• A battery-powered or hand crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible).
• At least one flashlight and extra batteries.
• A first-aid kit, which should include all prescription and OTC medications and any necessary medical items.
• Copies of all important documents (proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies).
• Extra cash in a variety of denominations.

2. Make a plan. Talk with members of your household about what to do during emergencies. Plan what to do in case everyone is separated, and choose two places to meet—one right outside the home, in case of a sudden emergency such as a fire, and another outside the neighborhood, in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate. Other tips on how you should formulate your emergency plan are:

• Choose an out-of-area emergency contact person. All household members should have this person’s phone number and email address. It may be easier to call long distance or text if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service.
• Tell everyone in the household where emergency information and supplies are kept.
• Practice evacuating your home twice a year. Travel your planned evacuation route and plot alternate routes on a map in case main roads are impassable.
• Plan ahead for your pets. If you must evacuate, make arrangements for your animals. Keep a handy list of “pet friendly” accommodations and animal shelters along your evacuation routes.

3. Be informed. Know what situations may occur where you live, where you work, where you go to school.

• If you live or travel often to areas near a fault line, learn how to prepare and what to do during an earthquake. If summer includes a trip to the beach, know what to do in case you are faced with a tropical storm, hurricane or tsunami. Remember that emergencies like fires and blackouts can happen anywhere, so everyone should be prepared for them.
• Find out how local officials inform the public in the event of an emergency.
• Learn first aid and CPR/AED so that you have the skills to respond in a situation before help arrives, especially during a disaster when emergency responders may not be immediately available. Contact the Oregon Red Cross to sign up for training.

As you look to the new year and what you would like to change, add getting prepared to your list of resolutions for 2012. Visit the preparedness section of the American Red Cross website to know what to do, to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, in all types of emergencies.

Enjoy a safe and Happy New Year.