On May 15 at 6 p.m. the Pecan Valley Chapter of the Red Cross will be hosting a Bunco Tournament at the VFW Hall on Memory Lane in Brady. Cost to play is $10 and refreshments will be served. Prizes have been donated by local merchants and individuals; there will be at least a dozen winners. Prizes vary from meal coupons to gift certificates to a dozen donuts. Unless otherwise specified by the donor, all money raised will stay at the local chapter level. Most people in the area were not aware that McCulloch County was a part of the Pecan Valley Chapter of the Red Cross. Though regionally headquartered in Brownwood, the chapter actually serves Brown, McCulloch, San Saba and Mills counties. Until recently, there was no local representation but that is slowly changing. The Red Cross is a priceless resource to the community, particularly in the event of a disaster. This need not be a community-wide event; it can be a personal tragedy such as a single family fire or as huge as evacuation due to hurricanes and floods. Tornadoes to terrorist attack and anything in between brings the Red Cross into action. This means that if a local family loses their home to a fire, the Red Cross will be there to help. In addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.

On February 2, the first meeting of interested area residents was held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brady; 24 people attended. Due to staff changes in Brownwood, setting up the first training session took a little longer than anticipated but on May 1, three local residents attended disaster readiness training in Brownwood. Another training session will be scheduled in the near future, hopefully in Brady.

RED CROSS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

*Disaster Relief - Provide relief services to victims of fires, floods, tornadoes and other disasters. Join our Disaster Action Team.

*Health & Safety - Teach lifesaving skills in first aid, CPR, life guarding or water safety. Give presentations on vital health and safety issues to community groups. Work reception area - answering phone, registering students, giving information about First Aid and CPR classes. Help enter and maintain training records.

*Armed Forces Emergency Services – As an on-call worker, assist military service personnel in contacting their families during family emergencies.

*Leadership - Provide guidance through service on chapter committees or the Board of Directors.

*Fund-Raising Events - Help to plan and carry out special fund-raising event. For more information you can contact the Pecan Valley Chapter of the Red Cross at 325-646-0196 or call Angelina Deans locally at 325-456-2211. Volunteer Applications are available at Texas Tumbleweed.