The American Red Cross Blair County Chapter and national sponsor Kaufmann’s have joined forces to send a special Valentine’s message to the United States troops stationed around the world.
Children and adults alike are encouraged to stop by the Kaufmann’s store in the Logan Valley Mall and decorate a Valentine card that will be sent to military troops overseas. This is the second year that Kaufmann’s has been involved in the event. ARC and Kaufmann’s will have all the needed supplies at their tables to create the cards. Interested people should stop by and donate some time.
“The booth will be set up in the children’s department of Kaufmann’s. Anyone is encouraged to stop and make a card,” said executive director of ARC Blair County Chapter Barbara Taylor.
Tables are scheduled to be set up Saturday and Sunday from 1-3 p.m. The cards can be made until February 11, and then they will be sent to the troops. There will be a huge display of the cards at the Kaufmann’s stores before they are sent.
“Our target date for the cards to reach the troops is February 14,” said Taylor, “and they will reach the troops in Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other places around the world.”
The Valentine’s Day Card promotion supports the Blair County Chapter’s Armed Forces Emergency Services Department, which acts as a liaison between military members and their families back home.
On hand at the Kaufmann’s store will also be ARC volunteers to answer questions for military family members from the area that might have concerns about how to get in touch with their loved ones in case of an emergency situation such as an illness of a family member, the birth of a child or a death of a loved one.
According to a press release from the ARC, the Blair County Chapter has assisted more than 110 families affected by disaster last year and sent nearly 250 emergency messages to U.S. service members separated from loved ones. ARC trained more than 5,400 people in Blair County last year in vital lifesaving skills such as First Aid and CPR.
Anyone interested in more information can contact the Blair County office at 944-6146.
