The month of March is Red Cross Month, in which the organization honors their volunteers, employees, and donors who proliferate the work of disaster relief, blood services, health and safety training and certification, armed forces services, and international aid and relief.
The Red Cross was founded on May 21, 1881, by Clara Barton, a self-taught hospital nurse during the Civil War, earning her the nickname “Angel of the Battlefield.” During an 1869 trip to Switzerland, Barton learned of the Red Cross movement in Europe, a humanitarian effort to render aid to those injured in combat while maintaining neutrality. Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881, which was followed by the 1882 ratification of the Geneva Conventions, laws that protect civilians and war-injured in areas of combat.
Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881, which was followed by the 1882 ratification of the Geneva Conventions, laws that protect civilians and war-injured in areas of combat.
Barton served as president of the Red Cross for twenty-three years until her retirement in 1904.
Every March since 1943 has been recognized as Red Cross Month since President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation.
In honor of the tradition, and in support and recognition of the New York and Long Island chapters of the Red Cross, Suffolk County officials attended a flag-raising ceremony at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge Wednesday afternoon.
“Our Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services (FRES) deal with the emergencies that hit our county, be it floods, storms, hurricanes, or fires,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches). “Their partner in this is the Red Cross that deals with the human side of this. So, if someone loses a home, needs a place to shelter, clothing, food, medical services, the Red Cross is there. They’re our allies. They provide a safety net for this county and we are so appreciative.”
Romaine and Suffolk County Legislators were joined by Red Cross personnel and leaders, including Jose Dominguez, the CEO of American Red Cross on Long Island.
“This is the highlight of my month and the year because we’re celebrating March’s Red Cross Month,” said Dominguez. “We cannot provide the services that we do, which are free, not only without our generous donors, but without the power of our volunteers, many of whom are with us here today.”
Prior to his tenure with the Long Island chapter, Dominguez served as Regional Volunteer Services Officer for the Greater New York Region, where he oversaw recruitment and engagement of more than 5,000 volunteers each year. Dominguez started with the Red Cross over fifteen years ago in the Eastern New York Region. Previously, Dominguez served as Regional Disaster Officer and Volunteer Services Officer for the Central and South Texas Region.
“Our volunteers here on Long Island, we have over a thousand of them, donate at least 60,000 hours a year and that’s the reason we are able to provide the services we do, which include CPR and First-Aid, which include blood collections throughout New York State,” said Dominguez. “We do distribute 40% of the blood not just here on Long Island, but throughout the country as well. We’re the largest supplier of blood, which is a life-saving gift.”
Dominguez has been deployed to more than fifty national disaster and relief operations, most notably for a six-week stint in the Virgin Islands helping with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin (D-Huntington Station) spoke in support of the Red Cross as well. Before her election this past November, Legislator Sanin served as the President and CEO of Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, a nonprofit organization that helps many needs of Long Islanders, from food assistance to individuals to supporting small businesses.
“My colleagues in the Legislature and I are very much committed to making sure we’re doing everything that we can to plan for disasters, which is a very important function of the government,” said Sanin. “We have to make sure we’re protecting public safety in a crisis, but the government can’t do it alone. Today, we celebrate the American Red Cross, but we really need to celebrate their work every day because when government and nonprofits work hand in hand, that is when we serve people well and that is when we make sure that we are going to have a bright, safe, and extraordinary future here in Suffolk County despite the challenges we face because of disaster.”
The officials and Red Cross personnel moved outside to the flagpoles, where the Red Cross flag was raised underneath the Suffolk County flag.
The Messenger spoke with Legislator Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue), who serves as Chair of the Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness Committee.
“The American Red Cross is vital, not only to the natural disasters, but they respond to the shelters, the food, and often on a moment’s notice,” said Thorne. “They provide outstanding services to our firefighters and our EMS workers at major events, even if it’s just giving them a simple thing like a warm cup of soup or coffee or a warm blanket to keep themselves warm after their rescue work has been done. They are vitally important to the fire rescue industry in this county and we are very much appreciative of them.”
In attendance also were Suffolk FRES Commissioner Patrick Beckley, Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy (R-Nesconset), Deputy Presiding Officer and Legislator Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), Minority Leader and Legislator Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon), as well as Suffolk County Legislators Catherine Stark (R-Riveread), Sam Gonzalez (D-Brentwood), Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset), and Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park).
