By Stephanie Dunn Ashley
On the first day of March, when our First Selectman Fred Camillo joined alongside our Red Cross volunteers to hoist the Red Cross flag proudly above Greenwich Town Hall, he was following in the tradition established 80 years ago when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared March as Red Cross Month.
During Red Cross Month, we proudly honor the people in our community who step up to support one another when help can’t wait during emergencies. This relief and hope wouldn’t be possible without these local heroes. Our work is powered by volunteers, along with generous financial and blood donors, community partners, and people trained in vital health and safety skills. Their humanitarian spirit continues to advance the lifesaving legacy of our founder, Clara Barton, one of the most honored women in U.S. history. Generation after generation, people have come together to adapt this timeless mission for their communities’ most urgent needs — building on the foundation that Clara started over a century ago.
You may be surprised to learn that 90% of Red Crossers are volunteers – people who raise their hands to respond to home fires at all hours of the day and night, to help install free smoke alarms in the homes of their neighbors, to roll up their sleeves to donate blood, to support military members, veterans and their families, or to deploy to disasters near and far. I continue to be amazed by the dedication, enthusiasm, and kindness displayed by Red Crossers throughout our community.
One local Red Cross volunteer I am so honored to serve alongside is Greenwich Police Chief Jim Heavey. Chief Heavey started to volunteer with the Red Cross when he was a teenager, when he took an Advanced First Aid course at age 14. By age 17, Chief Heavey was the First Officer (President) of Red Cross Explorer Post 30 — and in the decades that followed, he has remained a dedicated Red Crosser and public servant. Recently, I was able to celebrate his milestone 100th pint of blood donated to the Red Cross — an impressive achievement that was made even more special by his son joining him that day to make his own first ever blood donation. Of course, Chief Heavey made this donation at the 13th annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive — an event he has chaired since its inception in 2010.
Chief Heavey also has been an integral part of our annual Safety Town, where we teach awareness and accident prevention skills to children entering kindergarten (NOTE: registration is currently open for June 2024 at safetytown2024.givesmart.com).
His commitment to public safety and wellbeing is admirable, and I believe his legacy of service would make Clara Barton proud of what she set in motion so many years ago. Beyond the Red Cross, Chief Heavey volunteers with the Glenville Volunteer Fire Company, the Boy Scouts of America, and American Legion Post 29. He has raised two children who are committed to service themselves, one a registered nurse and the other a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.
For his commitment to serving others, I am so excited to share that we will present the inaugural Lifetime Service Award to Chief Heavey during our 2024 Red & White Ball. This annual event will be held on April 27, 2024 at Riverside Yacht Club.
Every day, people in our community rely on Red Cross volunteers for support. There are many ways you can help neighbors in need. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more about how you can join us and help your community.
So, take a moment this March and think about the legacy left by Clara Barton, who decided 143 years ago that our country needed an organization to protect the war-wounded and civilians in conflict zones. Our humanitarian mission has expanded in the following decades, but our focus remains the same — to bring help and hope to people in their time of need. Join us.
Stephanie Dunn Ashley, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross, Metro New York North Chapter.
