Anyone can be a "Hero for the American Red Cross" by providing $1,000 in financial support for the community services of the ARC. The goal is to involve as many individuals from as many backgrounds as possible. The money can be contributed by individuals, companies, groups and organizations, friends and coworkers, or customer donations. Funds can be raised by conducting a raffle, holding a "dressdown day", selling lunches, or other creative fundraising ideas.

Here’s How You Can Do It!

• If you are able, make a personal or business contribution of $1,000.
• Ask professional associates to make a contribution to support your effort.
• Ask your employer to make the contribution.
• If you are an educator, ask the students and faculty of your school to raise the money through a coin drive or selling "Red Cross Squares" to display in the school.
• High school clubs and organizations can do a number of things to raise $1,000.
• If you are a minister or church member, ask members of the congregation to contribute to your efforts.
• If you are in retail, banking, or the restaurant business, ask customers to donate or to buy “Red Cross Squares” which are displayed in the business.
• If you manage a business, ask your vendors to support your efforts.
• If you are a member of a civic club, ask other members to contribute.
• If you are retired, ask neighbors or friends to support your efforts.
• Recruit college sororities, fraternities, or service organizations.
• Firemen, police, or EMS personnel can conduct boot drives.

Examples

The "Heroes for the American Red Cross" campaign will bring forth a tremendous surge of creativity and visibility in your community. Some interesting examples:

• A retired farmer sits in the local gas station and convenience store for three days asking customers to give to the ARC. He raised $2,900.
• Two post office clerks asked customers they knew to donate their change, raising $1,800.
• Firemen held a boot drive for one day at a local Walmart and raised $3,900.
• A restaurant asked each customer to donate change after paying their tab and raised $1,600.
• A pizza restaurant sold “Red Cross Squares” to customers raising $1,200.
• The employee council of a manufacturer cooked and sold hot dogs and hamburgers one day for three weeks and raised $1,100.
• A physician in a large medical practice asked the other doctors for at least $100 and raised $2,600.
• An auto dealership offered to give $25 for each time someone took a test drive for a three-week period and raised $1,450.
• A popular radio disc jockey asked listeners to make him a hero and raised $3,300.
• A grocery store raffled off a $250 gift certificate raising $1,120.
• A college fraternity raised their $1,000 from contributions from members and parents.
• A running club conducted a small run for the ARC and raised $1,600.
• A parking meter monitor in a small town asked folks she saw on her day-to-day rounds and raised $2,100.
• A county sheriff’s department held a traffic stop for four hours on a Sunday afternoon and raised $3,500.
• A high school service club held a car wash and raised $1,150.
• A hospital cafeteria asked employees and visitors to donate change at the end of the line and raised $1,587.
• Four branches of a bank sold “Red Cross Squares” to customers and raised $2,400.
• An administrator of a technical school asked employees and students to contribute and raised $1,089.
• A member of a civic club asked the club and its members for support and raised $1,150. The club donated $500 and members contributed $650.