‘Dreamers and Doers’ to honor 6 area women

The American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter is honored to have Mary Ann Berger, Volunteer, honored among these five other wonderful ladies at the “Dreamers & Doers” event.

Press-Gazette • February 7, 2010

ALLOUEZ — The Green Bay area branch of the American Association of University Women will host its 4th annual “Dreamers and Doers” events on March 13 and 14 at Heritage Hill State Park.

Historical tours, featuring reenactments of five women from Brown County’s past and led by local historian Mary Jane Herber, will run from 1 to 4:30 p.m. March 13 and 9 a.m. to noon March 14. Tickets for the March 13 tour and tea are $25. Tickets for March 14 are $20.

An awards luncheon is scheduled for March 14 at the Heritage Hill Education Center. Six area women will be honored: Jeanne Agneessens, Tracy B. Arndt, Mary Ann Berger, Maria Hinton, Joyce McCollum and Lucinda Roberts.

The cost to attend the luncheon is $35 and the deadline is March 5. Call Jill at (920) 592-9987 for a reservation form.

Tanker tips on M-35; Red Cross Assist Emergency Workers

American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter assisted the emergency workers on the scene of the accident. Four volunteers provided workers with coffee, cider, hot chocolate, snacks as well as sandwiches for lunch later in the day.

Posted: February 8, 2010, by NIKKI YOUNK, Staff Writer The Daily News

MENOMINEE – A semi-tanker crash in Menominee County on Saturday prompted the evacuation of eight residences and the shut-off of electrical power.

Menominee County Sheriff Kenny Marks reported that the accident occurred at 4:17 a.m. in Menominee Township.

The gasoline tanker from Klemm Trucking Company in Green Bay, Wis. crashed and rolled over on M-35 near Evergreen Road, Marks added.

The driver was transported to Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette, Wis., where he was treated and released.

Officials from the sheriff’s department are not releasing the driver’s name at this time.

Marks said that the tanker spilled approximately 200 gallons of gasoline.

Following the accident, eight residences along M-35 and Evergreen Road were evacuated.

Marks noted that a 1,000-foot perimeter was maintained for the safety of citizens. M-35 traffic was detoured to U.S. 41.

Also, officials shut off electrical power in the area, beginning at 6:02 a.m., in order to prevent the ignition of the gasoline from a damaged electrical pole.

At 6:24 a.m., another tanker arrived to pump fuel out of the damaged tanker, said Marks.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes and power was restored about five hours after the accident occurred.

Marks added that a cleanup operation was initiated to prevent groundwater contamination. Veolia Environmental Services and U.P. Environmental conducted a Hazmat assessment and cleanup of contaminated materials. Havelka Construction provided an excavator to dig up contaminated soil.

M-35 was opened to through traffic at approximately 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

The Menominee-Ingallston Volunteer Fire Department, Marinette Fire Department and Hazmat Team, Marinette and Menominee County Emergency Management, ACE Towing, Bay Area Paramedics, American Red Cross, and Michigan State Police assisted at the scene.

Nikki Younk’s e-mail address is nyounk@ironmountaindailynews.com.

Local volunteer to help Haiti victims

Published : Sunday, 07 Feb 2010, 4:16 PM CST

• Reporter: Robert Hornacek: For video of news story click HERE

Sturgeon Bay resident and Red Cross volunteer Shirley Senarighi is on her way to help the people affected by the massive earthquake in Haiti. Senarighi took a flight out of the Outagamie County Regional Airport Sunday afternoon.

“I think one of the things we need to do is listen,” Senarighi told FOX 11. While the relief effort continues in Haiti, Senarighi is heading to Miami. The retired principal and guidance counselor will work as a mental health counselor with people who were injured in the earthquake and evacuated to the U.S.

“There are a lot of great people who provide those immediate needs in regards to food or shelter,” Senarighi said. “But there’s a lot of emotional experience going on for these people as well.”

This is not Senarighi’s first deployment. In 2008, she traveled to Illinois to help victims of the Midwest floods. A few months later, she traveled to Texas to help victims of Hurricane Ike.

“I’ve felt on the deployments I’ve been involved with the people really looked for our assistance and support,” Senarighi said.

Senarighi added that victims of natural disaster typically go through the same emotions.

“The shock, the denial, depression,” Senarighi said. “There are a lot of different things that I think regardless of the type of disaster, the reactions are often quite the same and they’re very cyclical.”

But with the massive devastation in Haiti, Senarighi is not sure what to expect. But she is happy to help.

“We need to give them a chance to talk about what happened,” Senarighi said. “Then help reframe and think about what’s next. We need to help them think about what’s next.”

Senarighi is planning to return to Wisconsin in early March. Although depending on the needs of the people, that time frame could change. While in Miami, she will also be helping some of the relief workers returning from Haiti.

Area schools raise money for Haiti

Published : Friday, 05 Feb 2010, 6:22 PM CST

• Reporter: Kristin Crowley : Click HERE for video of WLUK Fox 11 News Story.

At Howe Elementary School in Green Bay students learned a little bit goes a long way.

“My students were so touched by the earthquake that they kind of came up with this idea that we should have a money drive,” said third grade Howe Elementary teacher Carissa Grasse.

The students raised more than $1,000 with a penny drive. That money was matched by an anonymous donor and given to the American Red Cross.

“It’s been so inspiring because our students don’t have a lot. A lot of them come from homes where they’re living in poverty,” said Grasse.

Students at Marinette High School have done their part to contribute in a big way, with only a little bit of time.

Every year the high school holds a winter games event and students get involved with a charity. Choosing to help out Haiti was a last minute decision. $3,300 was raised in less than a week.

“I think it’s great that teenagers can make so much of a difference and raise so much money,” said senior Matt Swiatnicki.

Green Bay’s Southwest High School students held a pep-rally on Friday with a focus on Haiti.

“We just kind of came down to the conclusion that we were going to sell t-shirts, and it just kind of evolved into this massive project,” said teacher Christy Faymonville.

Students designed “Project Haiti” t-shirts to raise money for UNICEF. They sold more than 800 shirts, and earned more than $5,000. Their pep rally also helped them raise an additional $264.

“One shirt can feed three families. It’s a really dig deal, we really are doing a great thing,” said Ashley Duda who helped organize the fundraiser.

The fundraising techniques among the schools may be different, but the result is the same. Help for those who need it.

The Power of What Youth Can Do!

“Just One” – Green Bay East High School Haiti Fundraiser

In one week, students at Green Bay East High School raised more than $2,000 for the American Red Cross to help Haiti earthquake victims. The student-led campaign focused on kids making small donations to help out.

The girls at Chappell Elementary School also do their part!

WLUK and Red Cross Team up for Be Red Cross Ready!

Not only was January the start of a New Year, it was also marked the start of an exciting life-saving partnership with WLUK FOX 11 television.

In our never-ending quest to provide life-saving safety and preparedness information we are developing monthly “Be Red Cross Ready” news segments. Each story will support our mission to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies disasters. More specifically segments will focus on preventing senseless deaths/accidents, promote family wellness, community programs, overall life education and more. 

“We are proud to associate the FOX 11 brand with the brand of the Red Cross with the intention of providing a service that can save lives.  We too believe in serving in the public interest and this partnership is a strong example of what that means.” states, Jay Zollar, VP and General Manager of WLUK FOX 11

Each Chapter within the Region will provide information, skilled trainers, experienced volunteers and access to our community partners. Our planning calendar includes: Lifesaving Spring Techniques, Swim Safely into Summer, Fall Focus on Prevention and Winter Weather Warm-ups.

Our first segment featured a disaster volunteer and his preparedness kits for his automobile and home. The second segment was based on the CPR Made Simple course offered to the WLUK Fox 11 staff, which highlighted choking, CPR and AED skills. Later this month, a preparedness session will be provided so we can spread the importance of 1. Being Informed. 2. Getting a Kit. 3. Making an Plan. 

To build awareness of the Be Red Cross Ready segments, their anchors Pete Petoniak and Rachel Manek volunteered to produce a public service announcement. They can be seen throughout the day.

We are thankful for the partnership as together, we will save – and change – lives.

 

Be Red Cross Ready:CPR Made Simple

Helping Everyday People Save Lives

When the heart stops, permanent brain damage begins about 4- 6 minutes after cardiac arrest with brain death occurring in 8-10 minutes.  The national average response time for an ambulance is 10 minutes but it can take longer. The more often CPR is initiated before the ambulance arrives the more often lives can be saved.

CPR Made Simple, a new program approved by the American Red Cross, will make it easier for more Americans to be trained in the critical skills to save lives. “A trained person is more apt to respond in an emergency and is more comfortable taking action even if its just to call for help,” says Dawn Krull, Health and Safety Services Director, “while someone who isn’t trained is more apt to do nothing.”

CPR Made Simple is a one-hour non-certification course that introduces individuals to Adult CPR/AED and focuses on hands-on practice of Adult CPR/AED skills. This course will make it easy for those who may have been deterred by cost, time, or just not felt a need for full certification. “Hopefully it will also spike an interest in some participants to seek a little bit more in-depth knowledge,” says Krull.

The hands-on course is offers an overview of the skills that may help them save the life of a family member, friend or co-worker. It is being offered to area employers and groups. Attendees will receive a card highlighting basics and will allow them to take a future class at a 20% discount.

Learning Objectives of CPR Made Simple

• Demonstrate or describe the emergency action steps.
• Demonstrate or describe how to check an unconscious adult.
• Demonstrate or describe how to care for a conscious choking adult.
• Demonstrate or describe how to give CPR to an adult.
• Demonstrate or describe how to care for an unconscious choking adult.
• Demonstrate or describe how to use an AED

For more information on this program contact the Health and Safety Department at 920-227-4290.

Volunteering Together: John and Carol Olsen

"She's My Co-Pilot" (in life) says John, about his wife, Carol.

John Olsen didn’t ask Carol to be his wife. After dating for three months, he just started talking about how they should set a date for the wedding. They probably didn’t have to talk about volunteering for the Red Cross either. They found something they like to do, driving, and they have someone they like to do it with, each other.

All things follow a natural progression and they have now been married for 48 years. They have been blessed with 3 children and 4 grandchildren. They have been volunteering with the Red Cross for ten years and John has been donating blood for even longer.  ”They’re always there at the drop of a hat,” says Beth Feuerstein, Hospital Services Technician.

The couple is on call every fourth week to drive for the blood services program, which provides blood for area hospitals.

Beth says, it is important to have on-call drivers for this program to fulfill immediate needs of hospitals that may be running low on stocks of blood. This means the drivers have to drive during all hours, in all weather and sometimes quite a distance.

“They are a great inspiration,” says Beth. “After all that Carol and John have been through, they are so supportive of each other.”

When Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer the couple continued to volunteer through the treatments; delivering blood where it was needed. Carol, now in remission, says that she was lucky the side effects of treatment were not bad for her and that volunteering was a nice escape.

John has been donating blood for many years and was scheduled to donate his 20^th gallon on November 7, 2009.  But on November 2, a rescue squad brought him to the emergency room for a bleeding ulcer. He was given 2 units of blood then and would receive three more. For now he will have to wait but he looks forward to giving his 20^th gallon next year.

John says, you can’t always anticipate the weather on the road. Last winter the couple drove to Marquette on Thursday and the sun was shining. They made the same trip the next day and experienced their toughest drive in whiteout conditions. Weather in Wisconsin can be a hazard to their volunteer work. “We have had some icy roads,” says John, “but we just take our time.”

John says, he once read that the greatest thing you can do for someone is to do something knowing you can never be repaid. That is something that inspires the couple’s volunteer work. They don’t know who will receive the blood after it’s delivered and the person who receives it won’t know who delivered it.

The couple enjoys sightseeing and watching for birds on the road. They take turns driving so they each get a turn to sit back and enjoy the ride. They don’t run out of things to talk about but they are also comfortable in silence. “We just like being together,” says Carol, “and it hasn’t changed in 48 years of marriage.”

When they are not volunteering they say they are truly enjoying retirement. They might turn on the coffee maker and turn off the television so they can put some classical music on real low, then spend the night reading while nibbling on cookies. Or they might do what they did during the last blizzard and just turn everything off then open the curtains so they can spend the day watching it snow.

“They’re beautiful people,” says Beth, “and this world is a better place because of them.”

Pictures from Blake Mycoskie’s Visit to UWGB

February 2, The Office of Student Life and the Good Times Programming student organization sponsored Blake Mycoskie’s visit to UW-Green Bay. Student Life Program Coordinator Grant Winslow said Josh Braun and Kyra Karenke from Good Times, and Mike Crum with the Red Cross Club and Katie Barrientos with the Social Work Club have been instrumental in planning the visit.

American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter Responds to Duplex Fire on Eastside of Green Bay

The American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter responded to a duplex fire on the Eastside of Green Bay around 7:30pm on February 1. The fire displaced two adults in the one unit, and the other unit was not affected.

Two American Red Cross Disaster workers assisted the adults with monetary assistance for clothing and food. We also provided the clients with comfort kits (which include soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, washcloth, comb, facial tissue, deodorant, razors, shaving cream and lotion) and homemade quilts. The clients are staying with relatives.

Red Cross disaster assistance is free and is made possible by community donations. You can help individuals of this disaster and others by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter’s local disaster relief fund. For information call the Lakeland Chapter at 920-468-8535 or visit www.arclakeland.org.

 About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.