When a fire devasted the O'Connor鈥檚 home, we provided disaster relief & helped Sgt. Jason come home to his family within a day. Last year, we helped military families with 2,319 emergency communications & responded to 977 fires across our region.

Working smoke alarms and home fire plans are critical for reducing injuries and saving lives when home fires disasters happen. Last year, our Red Cross teams and community partners installed 6,698 smoke alarms and made more than 2,000 homes safer.

On June 19, Red Cross board members hosted a blood drive to build awareness about the everyday need for a diverse blood supply. Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disease in the U.S. & primarily affects people of African descent.

"It's nice to know people are concerned," said Teri Wachter, resting with a pink quilt on her lap. She and other residents of Raymond, MN, were welcomed at a Red Cross shelter after they were evacuated following a train derailment in March 2023.

Airman 1st Class Cordoba and Staff Sgt. Thompson were honored with one of the highest Red Cross awards for using their Red Cross training to save lives. Last year, 127,244 people trained in First Aid, CPR & AED, water safety, babysitting, and more.

For more than four years, Amy Leopold from Duluth, MN, has been a committed Red Cross volunteer. And this year, she was recognized with the luckywin鈥檚 2023 Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership.