Tag Archives: Greater Cleveland Board of Directors

Happy Birthday Dick Pogue

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The American Red Cross wishes civic icon and long-time Red Cross supporter Dick Pogue a very happy birthday!

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Richard W. Pogue, past Managing Partner and current Senior Advisor to the Jones Day law firm, is Director Emeritus of the Red Cross of Greater Cleveland.  He was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in October, 2009.

Dick’s civic interests are wide-ranging, as he has served as chairman of several organizations, including the Cleveland Foundation, Greater Cleveland Growth Association, University Hospitals, The City Club, Business Volunteers Unlimited, Greater Cleveland Roundtable, The 50 Club, the Newcomen Society of the United States, Cleveland Institute of Music (interim), and Presidents’ Council Foundation. He chaired the 1989 Cleveland United Way campaign and served as co-chairman of Cleveland’s 1996 Bicentennial Commission.

Dick is still an active member of the Greater Cleveland Chapter, regularly attending quarterly Board meetings and serving  on the Nominating Committee. He is also a  generous supporter of the Chapter’s many fundraising events.

Dick Pogue receives the Golden Doorknob Award from CEO Mike Parks, “for the many doors he has opened for so many people” on March 22, 2018.

“Dick Pogue embodies the true spirit of the American Red Cross in that he cares – he genuinely cares about the mission of serving others in their time of need,” said Mike Parks, CEO of the Northeast Ohio Region.  “I feel privileged and honored to have his sage counsel and his tireless support, which help make the Red Cross the world’s premiere humanitarian organization.”

Here’s to many more happy birthdays to the man Cleveland Magazine once named “Mr. Cleveland,” Dick Pogue.

Let’s Help Save Lives!

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CEO Sends Message to Encourage Donations During Board Blood Drive

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Memorial Day weekend approaches.  It’s the unofficial start of the summer season, when blood donations typically drop.  The Greater Cleveland Chapter Board of Directors is sponsoring a blood drive tomorrow, the Thursday before Memorial Day, at Regional Headquarters, 3747 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland.  Regional CEO Mike Parks issued the following message:

Northeast Ohio Red Cross Family: 

As a reminder, on Thursday, May 25th from 1:00-6:00 pm, let’s roll up our sleeves and help save lives!  The American Red Cross Greater Cleveland Chapter will hold a blood drive sponsored by the Board of Directors.  The Red Cross has over 130 years of experience providing humanitarian aid – including more than 70 years of supplying blood to those in need.

Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. What a great way to pay it forward and make an impact on people in our community and across the country.  We are very excited about the drive and I hope you are too.

We are planning some great giveaways for that day.  Let’s show our community and the patients in need of blood just how much we can do.  There are many ways you can help, but most importantly we hope you come out to donate.  It’s not every day that we do something that has such a lifesaving impact. Let’s blow this out of the water! Feel free to invite your family, friends and co-workers to support this critical initiative.  I plan to be first in line at 1:00 pm with my sleeve rolled up!!

Individuals who are at least 17 years of age (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.  If you are able and eligible to give blood, please make an appointment at www.redcrossblood.org using sponsor code NEOBOARD or call 1-800-RED CROSS.  In addition, you can schedule and track your donation by using the Blood Donor App.  It is free and available for download on iPhoneTM and AndroidTM devices through the App StoreSM and Google PlayTM or by texting BLOODAPP to 90999 for a link to download the App.

On the day of donation, blood donors can save time by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online prior to arriving at the blood drive by visiting www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and following the instructions on the site.  I just found out that the President of Biomedical Services, Shaun Gilmore, and his senior leadership team will be visiting us on Thursday—what better way to demonstrate our commitment to One Red Cross than having a highly successful blood drive—we might even convince them to roll up their sleeves!!

Thank you for supporting the American Red Cross!…Best regards, Mike

Ordinary People Honored for Taking Extraordinary Action

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Recognized with Highest Award the Red Cross Offers

Lifesavers.  When we hear that word, we think of surgeons, firefighters, police officers, lifeguards.

Add teacher and massage therapist to the list.

Two people who have been certified by the Red Cross for their lifesaving skills have now been honored after putting those skills to use.

Mike Parks, Molly O’Donnell, Charlotte Rerko and Shawn RIley
Natasha Alexander-Cooley, her daughter Juanita Ewing and her mother Juanita Alexander
Mike Parks, Natasha Alexander-Cooley, Charlotte Rerko and Shawn Riley
Molley O’Donnell

Certificates of Merit were awarded to Natasha Alexander-Cooley and Molly O’Donnell.  The certificates, signed by President Barack Obama, cite their “selfless and humane action in sustaining a life.”  They are the highest award given by the Red Cross to someone who sustains or saves a life by using the skills learned during Red Cross training.

Natasha, an educator at Tremont Montessori School in Cleveland, was honored for saving the life of a choking student, by performing several abdominal thrusts until food was dislodged from the choking boy’s throat.

Molly, a licesned massage therapist and trained First Aid/CPR/AED instructor, was cited for her efforts to save the life of her Instructor Trainer, who suffered cardiac arrest prior to the start of their class earlier this year.

“The Red Cross trains people to react to emergency situations, and these individuals did exactly what they were trained to do,” said Charlotte Rerko, Regional COO and a Registered Nurse.   “It was an honor to present these awards to them.”

Charlotte was also honored with a Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action.  She also responded to the stricken CPR Instructor.

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Mike Parks, Charlotte Rerko and Shawn Riley

The awards were presented by Mike Parks, Regional CEO, and Shawn Riley, Board Chair, during the quarterly meeting of the Greater Cleveland Chapter Board of Directors on Thursday, December 8.  There’s a photo gallery from the meeting on the Greater Cleveland Chapter Facebook page.

The Red Cross teaches not only First Aid/CPR/AED, but also Basic Life Support, Babysitting and Childcare, and Lifeguarding.  Go to redcross.org/take-a-class to learn these live saving skills.  You may be called on someday to take extraordinary action in order to save a life.