An intense, exhausting, grateful December

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A personal account of getting through a tough time

By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

Streams of people, ambulances and occasionally a helicopter. In a parking lot and garage just beyond, cars arrive, depart, circle. Each time I look out the fourth-story window in my dad’s hospital room, I see this scene. Whether in the cerulean predawn, during the intense glow of short December days, or beneath pools of sodium light in long evenings, it continues. Lives impacted, whether through illness, tragedy, or disaster. Crises do not cease. I also watch the many who arrive to help, while others leave, often looking exhausted, and am grateful for them.

Tim Poe, Red Cross volunteer

The last few weeks have been a torrent of emotion, of worry, discussions, activity, seeking information, of varying between bleakness and optimism.

I am especially grateful to the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals working to identify the cause of and cure my dad’s illness and address the complications that arise. And to the blood donors and blood services personnel who enabled a transfusion to be ready if needed. I take a mental note to schedule a blood donation.

I hear rhythms of footsteps, medical equipment rolling on wheeled carts, voices, a cacophony of whirs and beeps emerging from medical devices, approaching sirens (silenced just before arrival), PA announcements, and occasionally the music-box chime of “Lullaby and Good Night” announcing a new life. I imagine orchestrating all this into a symphony.

I think of the times I have been in that and other ERs and hospitals in the area, as an American Red Cross volunteer, a patient, a friend, and family member. And how grateful I am to have been able to help and receive it when needed.

I have previously written about seeing the results when bringing help to those in need as a Red Cross volunteer. The tears of relief, smiles returning to faces, human resilience being bolstered, people beginning to recover and move forward, and especially gratitude.

Linda, Tim, and Billy Poe

My goal with this article, before my dad’s illness, was to focus on how much your help is needed and the tremendous good it does. As we have recently written, the need for Red Cross services is tremendous and continues to increase, with the climate crisis, global instability, and other factors. We have also written about seeing the impact of your donations, whether through financial support, volunteering time, or donating blood.

But now I wanted to offer another perspective, that of a family member during a time of need. While my dad’s illness is not the result of a disaster—although having a blood transfusion ready was necessary—I am trying to show a little of the intensity and worry felt when in need of help, and the thankfulness and relief when help is received.

My dad is home now. Recovery will take some time, including doses of antibiotics every eight hours, which I am administering via an IV attached to a PICC line. As I write this, we are on day six of 10. Since my formal education is in literature and music, this is far outside my area of expertise. I’m experiencing a fair amount of anxiety and fatigue. My Red Cross experience helps, especially managing in times of crisis, but I have needed and found help, advice, expertise, wisdom, and kindness from medical professionals, friends, family members, and others in the Red Cross. Each instance has helped keep me going, to refocus, to help the optimism win out over the bleakness. And for that I am deeply grateful.

Through all this, my family and I have not done much for the holiday season. I did put up a Christmas tree, and there are a few decorations. I have not been able to attend celebrations, and there won’t be much to wrap and unwrap, but if all continues to improve, the season will be one of the most grateful, thanks to those who helped.

So when life regains some normalcy, I’m more resolute than ever to continue helping where and how I can, help with and encourage financial support, and schedule a blood donation .

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Wreaths Across America – honoring veterans at Toledo Memorial Park Cemetery

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By Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

Photo credit Kathryn Dean, Red Cross volunteer

This past weekend, the American Red Cross of Northern Ohio assisted with the national program Wreaths Across America at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Seville and Toledo Memorial Park Cemetery and Mausoleum in Sylvania, Ohio.

The annual program remembers and honors our fallen heroes at national cemeteries across the country by placing wreaths on veteran headstones on a certain day in December. The program’s been around since 2007, about 15 years after the first wreaths were donated to honor veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Not long after, others showed interest in expanding the effort throughout the country.

Red Cross volunteer Nasir laying a wreath – Photo Credit Dawn Henderson

Volunteers from the Red Cross were providing material support for the services Saturday afternoon, along with the Boy Scouts of America. The mild weather helped boost the turnout for attendees and for volunteers.

Chad Holeko, Commander with the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard was this year’s keynote speaker. He invoked President John F. Kennedy during his speech, noting that it is not the words we choose to honor our military veterans, but the actions.

Red Cross volunteers at Wreaths Across America event in Toledo – Photo Dawn Henderson

After a brief remembrance ceremony, volunteers laid roughly 7,000 wreaths on the graves of fallen servicemen and women.

The Red Cross supports members of the military, veterans and their families in a variety of ways through our Service to the Armed Forces program. Volunteers from the Northern Ohio Region have been providing support for Wreaths Across America for several years. View photos from this year’s event here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Platelet donor understands impact of giving from both sides

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By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

As the director of manufacturing at the American Red Cross blood lab in Cleveland, Darlene Morris has a unique perspective on the importance of donating blood products. Over her 30+ year career in the biomedical field, Darlene has experience both working in hospitals and in the blood centers where products such as blood, platelets and plasma are processed.

Darlene Morris, All-Star Platelet Donor

This unique perspective has allowed her to not only understand what goes into making the blood products, but to witness firsthand the good that they can do.

“It is important to always keep blood on the shelf because you never know when something is going to happen,” said Darlene. “I’ve seen lives saved, and that’s why it’s important to me.”

In her current role, she oversees all of the blood once it’s been collected and returned to the Red Cross at the Warzel Donation Center in Cleveland. There the collections are divided into their respective products and sent back to the hospitals to be used. This center is the third-highest manufacturing site in the country, producing over 700,000 products last year serving Northern Ohio and the Detroit and Fort Wayne regions in Michigan.

She is also an all-star platelet donor, giving donations of platelets about once every two weeks for the past several years. Platelet donations can be made with a wait time of only around seven days, versus a 56-day interval between standard blood donations.

Platelets are an important blood component that enable clotting when there is an injury or trauma. They are also important for cancer patients and others suffering from hematological conditions. Darlene notes that “between the (blood) products being available and improved procedures, now a lot of people survive.”

Darlene Morris, All-Star Platelet Donor

Darlene’s experiences have shaped her views of blood donations and the people they serve.

“For me, I feel like it’s been a privilege to be a part of the Red Cross,” she explained. “It’s been a blessing to me, and this has been the greatest career. It’s not just about me, it’s about everybody else that we help.”

Learn more about the different types of blood donations you can give this holiday season here.

To find a blood drive near you, click here and enter your zip code.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Number of lives saved tops 2,000

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Through the work of our dedicated American Red Cross volunteers and partners, we have now saved more than 2,000 lives through our Home Fire Campaign. More than one-third of those are children.

Home fires are this country’s deadliest and most frequent type of disaster. Seven people in the U.S. lose their lives to a fire in their home every day.

Because of these tragic statistics, the Red Cross launched its Home Fire Campaign to reduce home fire- related deaths and injuries. Since its start in 2014, the campaign is credited with helping save 2,002 lives as of the end of November, 2023.

As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross works with local partners to install free smoke alarms and share fire safety information with families. Through the support of our community partners and dedicated volunteers, the campaign has installed 2.7 million smoke alarms and helped to make 1.1 million homes safer.

Long before the launch of the national home fire campaign, the Northern Ohio Region was installing smoke alarms in homes locally. The effort began in the city of Cleveland in 1992, when businessperson and philanthropist Sam Miller joined with other civic leaders, the Cleveland Fire Department, and the Red Cross to reduce fire fatalities through installing smoke alarms and teaching fire safety.

More than 225,000 smoke alarms have been installed by the Red Cross and its partners in Northern Ohio, and 21 of the 2,002 lives that have been saved were in this region.

If you need smoke alarms in your home, visit our regional Home Fire Campaign page.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Gift giving made simple: donate blood this Holiday Season

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By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with information on current donor incentives

Blood. It’s red, deep red, like a worldview when tediousness and life drama build and become epic. It’s also lifegiving, sustaining, and needed. Most of us only feel we need such a boost on occasion, but others—including trauma, leukemia, and kidney disease patients, those experiencing childbirth emergencies, and more—truly need it to keep living, right away.

And you know what? You have blood! Lots of it! About 1.5 gallons, just waiting to help. Even a paper cut will remind you it’s there. Yet a lot of people will need blood today, tomorrow, and next week. On average, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. So, schedule a time to donate some. You’ll feel good about yourself, get a cookie and juice, bring much needed light to the world (metaphorically), and potentially save a life (literally).

Thanks to Prime Video and their new film Candy Cane Lane, those who come to give now through Dec. 31 will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 Amazon.com Gift Card and a 65-inch Omni QLED Series Amazon Fire TV. (Details at RedCrossBlood.org/Amazon). In thanks for giving, we’re also offering a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card by email for those who come to give Dec. 1-17, and a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt Dec. 18-Jan. 5, while supplies last.

Did you know we decorate with red during the giving season because donating blood is among the greatest gifts of all? Okay, I made that up, but I like it and am sticking with it.

However awesome you believe yourself to be, you can be even more so. Just with a little less blood for a very short time. Your body will quickly make more; and remember, you have around a gallon and a half of the stuff. They won’t take anywhere near that much. Promise.

To take part in this much needed awesomeness and giving spirit, visit redcrossblood.org or download the free app. Here are the season’s blood drives in our area, where you’ll be among other fantastic, giving people, like Eilene, Don, and Doug.

Holiday Blood Drive, Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, 2022

American Red Cross Northern Ohio 2023 Holiday Blood Drives

December 12, 2023
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
1 Center Court
Cleveland, OH 44115
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Make an appointment today!

December 15, 2023
Crocker Park
239 Market Street
Westlake, OH 44145
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Make an appointment today!

December 19, 2023
Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls
1989 Front St.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Make an appointment today!

December 20, 2023
Hilton Garden Inn
8971 Wilcox Drive
Twinsburg, OH 44087
7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Make an appointment today!

December 21, 2023
Packard Music Hall
1703 Mahoning Ave.
Warren, OH 44483
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Make an appointment today!

December 21, 2023
WNWO Holiday Blood Drive
Hilton Garden Inn Perrysburg
6165 Levis Commons Blvd.
Perrysburg, OH 43551
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Make an appointment today!

December 22, 2023
Stambaugh Auditorium
1000 Fifth Ave.
Youngstown, OH 44504
Make an appointment today!

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

2023 trends: Red Cross responds to growing disaster-driven humanitarian needs

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Donate on GivingTuesday or give blood during the holidays to help for future crises

Randy Liang and Monica Bunner, volunteers from Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley responded to wildfires in Hawaii

In 2023, extreme disasters took a devastating toll on people in the U.S. who turned to the American Red Cross for help coping with a record number of billion-dollar disasters.

So far this year, an all-time high of 25 separate billion-dollar disasters ravaged communities across the country, and more than 170 disaster workers from the Northern Ohio Region responded. They deployed to help people affected by extreme weather disasters such as:
 January tornadoes in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi
 Flooding caused by an atmospheric river in California in March
 April flooding in Florida
 Tornadoes in Missouri and Arkansas in April
 Typhoon Mawar in Guam in May
 Catastrophic flooding in Vermont in July
 Southern California flooding in the wake of Tropical Storm Hillary in August
 Wildfires fueled by prolonged drought conditions in Hawaii in August
 Hurricane Idalia in Florida in August
 Hurricane Lee in New England in September

Red Cross volunteer Jeff Mann of Heartland, Stark and Muskingum Lakes deployed to Guam in response to Typhoon Mawar in May

Volunteers from Northern Ohio also responded to disasters in our own communities, including:
 The train derailment and chemical burn in East Palestine in February
 The largest shelter operation in Northern Ohio since 2004 following an apartment fire in East Cleveland
 August flooding in several north central Ohio counties
 Multi-family fires in Akron, Uhrichsville, and Maumee

Robert Gee, a resident of East Palestine, stayed in a Red Cross shelter after a train derailment there in February

In addition, families sweltered in the nation’s hottest summer on record. And back-to-back disasters led to a series of blood drive cancellations, which further strained the national Red Cross blood supply that was already dwindling from summer travel and back-to-school activities.

“Increasing extreme disasters are causing more humanitarian needs for families in Northern Ohio and across the country,” Mike Parks, Regional CEO of the Red Cross of Northern Ohio, said. “This holiday season, please remember those who need support in the face of emergencies — and join us to provide care and comfort by making a financial donation or by giving blood or platelets.”

Help on GivingTuesday and during the holidays by visiting redcross.org to make a financial donation or an appointment to give blood or platelets. Individuals can also register for volunteer opportunities.

 Volunteers from Northeast Ohio helped feed and shelter more than 130 residents for six nights after fire forced them to flee their apartment building in East Cleveland

RESPONDING TO ADDITIONAL EMERGING NEEDS Beyond extreme disasters, people stepped up through the Red Cross to address other emerging needs for communities, including:
BLOOD DONATIONS: As the nation’s largest blood supplier, the Red Cross is grateful for the millions of donors who rolled up a sleeve throughout the year for patients in need. To further improve people’s health outcomes, the Red Cross has been working with community partners to introduce blood donation to a new and more diverse generation of blood donors — which is critical to ensuring that a reliable blood supply is available to the 1 in 7 hospital patients who need a lifesaving blood transfusion.
LIFESAVING TRAINING: This year, the Red Cross expanded its training to empower people to act during current-day crises — which is vital considering that nearly half of U.S. adults report being unprepared to respond to a medical emergency. This included launching the new “Until Help Arrives” online training course last spring for opioid overdoses, severe bleeding, cardiac arrest and choking emergencies, and partnering with professional sports leagues through the Smart Heart Sports Coalition to help prevent tragedies among student athletes by offering CPR training and increasing access to AEDs.
MILITARY FAMILIES: Red Cross workers helped service members on U.S. military installations and deployment sites worldwide — including in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. As part of our support this year, Red Cross volunteers delivered emergency communications messages connecting more than 87,000 service members with their loved ones during times of family need, while also engaging members in morale and wellness activities during deployments.
INTERNATIONAL: As part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, the American Red Cross supported international response efforts to disasters such as this year’s massive earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, the drought and hunger crisis in Africa, and flooding in Pakistan and Bangladesh. This has included providing millions in cash assistance, food, shelter, basic supplies, medical care and mental health services. As devastating conflicts persist in other areas of the world, the global Red Cross Movement continues to provide aid for people suffering, including those in Ukraine and in Israel and Gaza, as part of its neutral, humanitarian mission.

Visit https://www.redcross.org/local/ohio/northern-ohio/ways-to-donate/local-giving.html for more information about how the Red Cross helped people throughout the Northern Ohio Region in 2023.

About Our Regional Holiday Supporters: 
The Red Cross is grateful for corporate partners who contribute to our Holiday Campaign. They include Westfield. Thanks to their generosity and that of other supporters, the Red Cross is able to bring help and hope to people in need.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

7 Tips To Keep Your Holiday Season Safe, Merry and Bright

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By Sam Pudelski, Red Cross volunteer

The holiday season is upon us and for some, decorations are already trimming their homes. While December is known as the most wonderful time of the year, it’s also the peak time for home fires. 

The American Red Cross has put together some simple safety tips to help protect your home and family.

  • Opt for battery-operated candles. If you do use candles, never leave burning candles unattended and keep them away from anything that can burn. Make sure to keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
  • Inspect all holiday light cords to make sure they aren’t broken or frayed. Avoid stringing too many strands of lights together. You should not have more than three light strings per extension cord.
  • Make sure all outdoor decorations are made for outdoor use. Fasten lights securely to your home, trees and bushes. If you’re using any metal fasteners, like hooks or nails, make sure they are insulated to help prevent electrocution or fire hazard.
  • If you have an artificial tree or garland, check for a fire-resistant label. Keep them away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat. Never use electric lights on metallic trees.
  • If you plan to get a live tree, test its needles to make sure it is fresh. Bend the needles on the tree up and down to make sure no needles fall off. Make sure to water the tree regularly to prevent it from drying out.
  • Don’t hang stockings or decorations on the mantel if you plan to light the fireplace.
  • Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area. Test your alarms once a month and replace the batteries at least once per year. Additionally, you should practice your two-minute fire safety plan with everyone in your household.

If you cannot afford smoke alarms or aren’t physically able to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. You can request a smoke alarm from the Northern Ohio Region of the Red Cross here.

Red Cross serves up holiday safety tips to keep you thankful

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By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

While preparing the Thanksgiving feast, has anyone in your family ever burned something on the stove, setting off the smoke alarm and forcing you to open windows to the chilly November air?

My family has!

Have you every grabbed a potholder to pull a dish out of the oven, only to discover someone left it wet and the steam instantly scalded your hand?

I have!

These kitchen mishaps are not uncommon. But sadly, some holiday accidents turn disastrous: Thanksgiving and the day before are the top two days for home fires in this country.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, and the second leading cause of home fire deaths. Most cooking fires happen because people leave cooking food unattended. (In my family, it was scorched green beans. I’m thankful the damage was just smoke.)

The American Red Cross urges everyone to keep safety top of mind throughout the hectic holiday season (and beyond):

Stay in the kitchen, especially when you’re frying or broiling food. If you have to leave the kitchen for even a short time, turn off the stove.

The same goes for a grill or turkey fryer outside. Don’t leave them unattended.

Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.

Don’t wear loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.

Keep kids and pets at least three feet away from cooking areas.

Keep anything that can catch fire — potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stove top and oven, or any other appliance that generates heat.

Clean cooking surfaces regularly to prevent grease buildup.

Consider getting a fire extinguisher to keep in the kitchen.

Always check the kitchen before leaving home or going to bed to be sure all stoves, ovens and small appliances are turned off.

Remember my smoke alarm? Smoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm near (but not in) your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check them once a month. Replace all batteries at least once a year (unless you have newer alarms with 10-year batteries).

If you can’t afford to buy smoke alarms or you’re physically unable to install them, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your local Red Cross for more information.

One more thing: Does everyone in your family know what to do if you do, in fact, have a home fire? Visit redcross.org/fire for more safety information, including a fire escape plan to practice with your family.

Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, working with community partners, has saved at least 1,994 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer

Michigan woman loses battle with ALM

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By Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer

Editor’s Note: Jennifer Koerber passed away 16 days after this story was posted. We mourn her loss, and hope her story of strength and resilience inspires others to donate blood.

Jennifer Koerber first knew something was wrong last year when she would catch her son’s colds and it would take a long time to recover. Then, the Monroe County, Michigan woman began having severe fatigue, pale lips and gums, a rapid heart rate, and she would even pass out sometimes. She discovered what she was experiencing were the symptoms of aplastic anemia, a condition where not enough red blood cells are being produced by the body for it to function normally. Red blood cells are essential for carrying oxygen to the organs and other parts of the body. She required a blood transfusion to bring her hemoglobin levels back to a normal level during her first hospital stay.

Jennifer Koerber – from Facebook, with permission.

It took many more months of visiting different doctors and hospitals before she finally got her diagnosis, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). AML is a type of leukemia that affects blood cell production in the bone marrow. Large numbers of abnormal cells called myeloblasts are created in the bone marrow, which in turn crowd out red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells that are normally found in the bloodstream. This leads to an array of symptoms, including a weakened immune system, anemia, bruising, shortness of breath, weakness and bleeding.

During her treatment over the past year and a half, Jennifer was reliant on blood transfusions to replace the missing blood components that her body can no longer efficiently make.

“I do rely on the American Red Cross,” Jennifer said while receiving treatment. “I am transfusion dependent, meaning I cannot live without receiving blood.”

Due to chemotherapy and the nature of AML, Jennifer relied on infusions of packed red blood cells and platelets to keep her blood levels in check.

Jennifer Koerber – from Facebook, with permission.

Jennifer encouraged people to donate blood.

“I really urge people to know that it’s not just about donating money … you could simply donate blood to save a life, and it’s free,” Jennifer said. “Also, there’s a misconception about where the help goes, because there are multiple things the Red Cross does to help people, not just in disasters. They help local people who are transfusion dependent for blood.”

Schedule an appointment or find a local blood drive near you by visiting redcrossblood.org or by downloading the Red Cross blood donor app.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross Volunteer

Give blood and celebrate the 20th Anniversary “Elf”

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By Christy Peters, Regional Communications Manager

For most of my life, I have been a holiday purist. My family always waited until after Thanksgiving before we did anything related to Christmas. No decorating the house or finding a tree until the last weekend in November. And, of course, only certain foods on certain holidays. Heaven forbid you have turkey on both holidays – turkey on Thanksgiving, ham on Christmas.

My strict expectations even extended into holiday entertainment. Only certain films were true holiday “classics.” For example, there are only two acceptable versions of “A Christmas Carol.” For the kids “A Muppet Christmas Carol” and only George C. Scott as Ebeneezer Scrooge for everyone else. And if you don’t watch “It’s A Wonderful Life,” can it even be Christmas? So, it probably comes as no surprise that when the movie “Elf” debuted, I didn’t see it. I was good with my classics, and it didn’t seem to fit that category at all.

But it seems I missed the memo because “Elf” is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and has rightly earned classic holiday movie status. As strongly as I feel about George C. Scott, there are probably many more people who see Buddy as the true hero of the holiday season. And for them, I have some fantastic news! When you come to give blood now through Nov. 30, you’ll receive an exclusive pair of “Elf” + American Red Cross socks, while supplies last.

Donations are critical to the blood supply as the holiday season draws near – a time when blood donations often decline. And for traditionalists like me, the Red Cross is encouraging people to add a new tradition as the holiday season begins: Spread cheer with a blood or platelet donation. Donors of all blood types are urged to give, especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets.

Before the holiday rush begins, take an hour out of your day to give blood or platelets and help someone in need. You can find a blood drive near you and make an appointment using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

And, in case you were wondering, at the insistence of my husband, I finally watched “Elf” a few years ago…and loved it. It’s now required viewing in our home every year. Even us traditionalists can shake it up every now and then.