NY Red Cross Mega-Preparedness Day- Training 1,000 Harlem Residents in Distaster Preparedness on 4/25
****MEDIA ALERT**** Interviews and Photo Opps Available AMERICAN RED CROSS IN GREATER NEW YORK’S CENTENNIAL CIRCLE GETS HARLEM “RED CROSS READY” ON MEGA-PREPAREDNESS DAY American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) Partners with Harlem’s Children Zone (HCZ) to Provide Free Preparedness Training to 1,000 Harlem Individuals and Families New York, NY - (April 22, 2009) - Each year, the American Red Cross in Greater New York responds to as many as 3,000 disasters (8-10 a day), helping those affected by house fires, building collapses, power outages, etc. Many of theses homes don’t have working smoke detectors, nor do they have a plan for reconvening with family members outside of their homes, which adds to the anxiety of the situation. And, in most cases, those impacted by these emergencies leave their homes hurriedly and don’t take with them important personal items, such as a flashlight, medicines, identification papers, or spare clothing that can help smooth their recovery following the incident. On Saturday April 25, 2009, the Centennial Circle of the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY), in conjunction with the Harlem Children’s Zone, will train 1,000 individuals and families in the simple steps for preparing for a disaster – Get a Plan, Make a Kit, Be Informed. As part of the free event, the families will develop communications plans, and assemble “Go-Bags” to take with them that include such items as first aid kits, flashlights, batteries, whistles, smoke detectors, water, gloves, masks and informative literature. WHO: AMERICAN RED CROSS IN GREATER NEW YORK’S (ARC/GNY) CENTENNIAL CIRCLE & HARLEM CHILDREN’S ZONE WHAT: HARLEM MEGA-PREPAREDNESS DAY: 1,000 Harlem Individuals and Families Training to Prepare for Disaster WHEN: SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH: 10:00am – 4:00pm / Spanish Sessions 11:00am – 4:00pm WHERE: HARLEM CHILDREN’S ZONE: 35 East 125th Street (Corner of Madison Avenue) The American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) is a key humanitarian partner and a vital participant in New York’s plans and programs to help the nine million people in New York City and Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan counties prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. ARC/GNY responds to 8 to 10 emergencies a day—fires, floods, building collapses, power outages—and provides immediate humanitarian aid to as many as 100,000 people affected by these emergencies each year. The Chapter also helps New York residents and businesses prepare for emergencies by offering hundreds of lifesaving courses and emergency preparedness training programs and resources. ARC/GNY is charitable organization, not a government agency, and relies on donations to fund its free humanitarian services. For more information about how you can help, call 1-877-RED CROSS (1-877-733-2767), or visit www.nyredcross.org. # # # Media Contact: Loren Pomerantz 212-583-0338/ 917-902-0219 loren@combined-forces.com 
