On midway, Red Cross pitches for disaster aid

The Red Cross is offering a free, one-day course in disaster relief.
By KATIE LIBECCO
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CANFIELD -- The American Red Cross at the Canfield Fair is coordinating disaster relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well as providing immediate first aid to fair visitors.
"The Red Cross is always in need of money, donations and time," said Atty. Matthew Gurbach, who serves on the American Red Cross volunteer board of directors in Mahoning County. "But right now, that need is heightened."
There are numerous donation points set up throughout the Canfield Fairgrounds. There also is a blood donation drive near the fairgrounds medical building, said Alan Scannel, American Red Cross Mahoning Chapter event coordinator.
"There are two avenues people can take to help," Gurbach said. "Of course, monetary donations are always needed, and that situation is heightened right now. But we're also need of more volunteer efforts."
The Red Cross is offering a free one-day course in disaster relief for Valley residents who wish to go to locations in Louisiana and Alabama and help efforts there. Fifteen people had signed up by Saturday.
Scannel explained that the Red Cross also does a lot of local disaster relief that people can help with.
"We had one volunteer leave this morning, and we'll probably have another 20 leave by the end of this month," Scannel said. "But we also have a lot of families displaced here that we have to find temporary housing for."
"I think it's wonderful how people want to help," Red Cross volunteer Shirley Wood said. "Sometimes people want to give up, but you have to have hope."
Plenty to do
Wood said volunteers are needed to do all kinds of tasks, including counting change that was donated, which she said she'll do next week.
"There are so many things, it's going to take so much," Wood said.
An estimate was not available as to how much money has been raised for the Red Cross at the Canfield Fair.
Gurbach and Scannel invite anyone who wishes to help in volunteering or making donations to call the Mahoning Chapter of the American Red Cross at (330) 726-6063.
"The response from the public has been overwhelmingly outstanding. I'm incredibly proud of my fellow citizens in the Mahoning Valley," Gurbach said. "The whole time that I've been here, that is all anyone wanted to talk about."
Wood agreed that the response she's seen from fairgoers has been overwhelming.
"People I've talked to have been very sympathetic. No one has said a negative comment; they all want to help," she said. "The mood of everyone has been very positive."