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The
History of the American Red Cross of Summit and Portage
Counties.
The American Red Cross of Summit and Portage Counties is an
independent, non-profit organization supported by more than 2,000 volunteers and
over 100,000 blood donors, and affiliated with over 600 chapters and 38 blood
regions nationwide. For the people of Summit and Portage Counties, the
American Red Cross stands as a sentinel in constant readiness — 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. The Red Cross immediately responds with help when
disasters and other unexpected emergencies strike. The internationally
recognized Red Cross symbol conveys the unconditional promise to provide optimum
help to victims of disaster, anytime, anywhere.
Effective January 1, 2009, the separate Summit and Portage
County branches of the American Red Cross were combined into a single
Chapter as the American Red Cross of Summit and Portage Counties. Founded in
1916, the Summit County Chapter recently celebrated its 90th Anniversary.
For additional information, visit:
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Who founded the Red
Cross?
The Red Cross idea was born in 1859, when
Henry Dunant, a young Swiss man, came upon the scene of a bloody battle in
Solferino, Italy, between the armies of imperial Austria and the
Franco-Sardinian alliance. Some 40,000 men lay dead or dying on the battlefield
and the wounded were lacking medical attention. Dunant organized local people to
bind the soldiers' wounds and to feed and comfort them. On his return, he called
for the creation of national relief societies to assist those wounded in war,
and pointed the way to the future Geneva Conventions .
In October 1863, The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was
created in Geneva, Switzerland, to provide nonpartisan care to the wounded and
sick in times of war. The Red Cross emblem was adopted at this first
International Conference as a symbol of neutrality and was to be used by
national relief societies. In August 1864, the representatives of 12 governments
signed the Geneva Convention Treaty. The extraordinary efforts of Henry Dunant
led to the eventual establishment of the International Red Cross. Today, the Red
Cross Movement incorporates the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (the International Federation), as well as National Societies in 175
countries, including the American Red
Cross of the United States.
Who founded the American Red
Cross?
Clara
Barton (1821-1912) dominates the early history of the American Red Cross,
which was modeled after the International Red Cross. She did not originate the
Red Cross idea, but she was the first person to establish a lasting Red Cross
Society in America. She successfully organized the American Association of the
Red Cross in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 1881. Created to serve America in
peace and in war, during times of disaster and national calamity, Barton's
organization took its service beyond that of the International Red Cross
Movement by adding disaster relief to battlefield assistance. She served as the
organization's volunteer president until 1904.
