City Observes Red Cross Month

March is American Red Cross Month in Dalton. Mayor David Pennington read a proclamation to that effect at Monday night's meeting of the City Council. Dalton's observance coincides with the national celebration of American Red Cross Month. It has been celebrated each March since 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first proclamation. Representatives and volunteers from the local Red Cross chapter joined Mayor Pennington in the council chambers to receive the proclamation. 

The Red Cross is a charitable organization with the mission both at home and abroad of preventing and relieving suffering by people faced with emergency situations. Those emergencies include natural disasters, accidents, wars, and many other situations. From helping during disasters to providing training in life-saving skills such as CPR to ensuring patients have access to lifesaving blood, the Red Cross is there to help when help is needed. Locally, the Red Cross often assists people displaced by fires, floods, storms, etc. Red Cross chapters are also active staging blood donation drives throughout the year. Learn more about American Red Cross Month by clicking here. You can learn about the Northwest Georgia chapter of the Red Cross at their website by clicking here. 

Mayor Pennington's declaration reads: 

WHEREAS, in times of crisis, people in Dalton, Georgia come together to care for one another. This humanitarian spirit is part of the foundation of our community and is exemplified by American Red Cross volunteers and donors; and

WHEREAS, in 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, turning her steadfast dedication for helping others into a bold mission of preventing and alleviating people's suffering; and

WHEREAS, today, more than 140 years later, we honor the kindness and generosity of Red Cross volunteers here in Dalton, who continue to carry out Clara's lifesaving legacy. They join the millions of people across the United States who volunteer, give blood, provide emergency shelter, food and comfort for families, donate financially, or learn vital life-preserving skills through the Red Cross; and 

WHEREAS, we dedicate this month of March to all those who continue to advance the noble legacy of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton, who lived by her words, "You must never think of anything except the need, and how to meet it." We ask others to join in this commitment to give back to our community.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, I, David Pennington, Mayor of the City of Dalton, Georgia hereby proclaim March 2022 as "Red Cross Month" and encourage all citizens to reach out and support its humanitarian mission.