“Per Humanitatem ad Pacem.” (with humanity, towards peace) – American Red Cross

The Red Cross Club is a humanitarian entity that provides 40 percent of the nations blood supply. It is an organization that spreads awareness of the individuals who need assistance in the community and educating students on how to respond to that.

“I want members to have a selfless mindset that there are a lot of people who have needs closely tied to disasters or tragedies,” Sponsor Christopher Edgar said. “Being aware of things like health risks and how we can intercede to help others out is very important.”

The Red Cross Club hosts two blood drives at Vandegrift twice per year. They also help out in the community by creating care packages for the homeless, and fundraisers for disaster relief. The Red Cross organization alone supports more than one thousand organizations across the United States.

“I really like volunteering and the Red Cross is cool because they help with worldwide problems and disasters,” President Eesha Patel said. “It’s not government affiliated so they do it on their own. Im proud to be a part of it.”

Although there are numerous traditions continued since the club was founded, there are also new and exciting ideas to come.

“This year we want all the members to get CPR and first aid certified,” Patel said. “We want to do more group volunteer activities and opportunities for this year.”

Along with blood drives and fundraisers, the club also focuses on spreading knowledge of common diseases and associated treatments. This year, they are incorporating guest speakers into their meetings to expand on those subjects.

“They are trying to do a better job of getting speakers to come in that have expert knowledge, experience and influence to speak about their respective field,” Said Edgar.

The Red Cross club has a purpose to encourage and put others before themselves, creating better environment for the community. The skills learned and the leadership qualities attained will be put to great use in and outside of Vandegrift.

The Red Cross Clubs next blood drive is on October 22 from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Anyone 16 or older and meets the requirements can donate, but anyone under 18 needs to bring in a signed parental consent form before registering along with a photo ID.

If you have more questions or want to contact the Red Cross Club for more information, visit

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