When the hurricane hit, some members of the American Red Cross chapter in Hampton Roads, VA, thought they should cancel their Sept. 15 fundraising Ask Event.
But the chief executive officer said no.
"If we had canceled it, then we would have lost the opportunity tell our story to the 650 people who needed to hear it most. We had people camping on our doorstep because they needed help from the storm," said CEO Heather Livingston.
In one week, her chapter had helped 153 cases (families or individuals) from the storm, including many people who had driven to visit a friend or relative to get away but now found themselves needing a long-term solution.
The message Livingston wanted to get out is that not only is her chapter working with evacuees and sending teams to the crisis, but that it deals with emergencies every day - whether it's a house fire, heart attack, accident, the need for blood or staying in touch with loved ones serving in Iraq.
"My commitment is that we're here for you, for your children and for your grandchildren for generations to come," she said in her speech.
Her chapter raised more than $200,000 in gifts and pledges (not including money earmarked for Katrina) - the most successful fundraising event in the chapter's history.
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