HEMINGWAY - Williamsburg County firemen will take off their boots for the Red Cross Friday, March 19, in an effort to help fund much needed disaster services to the community.
According to a news release from the Red Cross, Williamsburg County Fire, EMS and Disaster Preparedness, E-911, and Hemingway Police and Fire are joining forces to “stand in the streets to collect donations for the Red Cross,” said Fire Chief Randy Swinton.
According to Swinton, Williamsburg County residents will have an opportunity to drop a donation into a boot between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. and 3-5:30 p.m. at designated intersections in Kingstree, Hemingway and Greeleyville.
Money raised will go to support Red Cross disaster action team volunteers who respond to residential fires, helping families get their lives back on track by providing immediate emergency assistance in the form of shelter, food and clothing as needed.
In addition, the Red Cross provides mental health crisis counseling to those in need, as well as assistance in developing a recovery plan to get the family back to pre-disaster conditions.. Red Cross staff and volunteers are on-call 24 hours a day, year round, to help disaster victims, the release said.
According to the Red Cross, since July 1, the local Red Cross has assisted 84 Williamsburg County residents who have been victims of home fires. Of those individuals, 32 have been children and the chapter has provided close to $12,000 in financial assistance.
During the last fiscal year, July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, the Red Cross assisted 171 Williamsburg County residents providing close to $28,000 in financial assistance.
Hemingway Police Chief Bryan Todd, who serves on the local Red Cross Board of Directors, said after reviewing the financials, it was evident that the amount of financial support coming to the local Red Cross from Williamsburg County is very low. “We just want to do our part to get the figures up for our local Red Cross,” Todd said in the release. “People have contributed to Haiti and we appreciate that, but we have to get the donations to provide the local support in our own communities.”
March is Red Cross month and the local Red Cross is conducting its Heroes Campaign, its largest annual fundraiser of the year, according to Angela Nicholas, Chapter CEO. Individuals or businesses and become a Hero for the ARC by donating or raising $1,000 or more to help the chapter reach its $125,000 goal. “We hope this boot drive will be so successful that these agencies in Williamsburg County will become Heroes for the ARC,” Nicholas said, adding that she hopes the boot drive will become an annual event during Red Cross month.
For information about the Coastal South Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross, which provides coverage to Georgetown, Horry and Williamsburg counties, call 477-0020 in Myrtle Beach or 546-5422 in Georgetown or visit www.coastalscarc.org.
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