From light to right: Mary Fran Faso, board member, American Red Cross of Northeastern New York; Sue Strong, Questar III school counselor; Brianne Cidras, senior, Culinary Arts program; and Lynn Seftner, Questar III career development specialist.
On March 22, students and staff from Questar III’s Columbia-Greene Educational Center in Hudson held a bagel sale to raise funds for the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan.
$475 was donated to the Red Cross from sales and additional contributions.
School Counselor Sue Strong, who organized the fundraiser, was grateful for the support from students, faculty and staff. “Seeing the terrible destruction in Japan, we wanted to have a fundraiser as quickly as possible to help. This is also a way to have students and staff join together to demonstrate how service and volunteer efforts are important on both a local and a global level,” she said.
Columbia-Greene Educational Center previously used proceeds from bagel sales to support Red Cross efforts after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquake in Haiti. “Our school community has always responded generously to help others and to support the incredible work of the Red Cross,” said Strong.
Mary Frances Faso, a board member with the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York, accepted the donation on behalf of the Red Cross.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Japan and other survivors of the earthquake and tsunami,” said Faso. “The American Red Cross has been in close contact with our colleagues in the Pacific region and deployed a disaster management expert from Washington D.C. to serve with seven others on an international team of disaster advisors.”
According to the Red Cross, about 370,000 people have been evacuated or displaced, utilizing 2000 shelters operated by the government and supported by the Red Cross.
Faso said the Japanese Red Cross has two million volunteers nationwide working around the clock to provide food, water, shelter and medical supplies. It also deployed 95 medical teams with more than 700 doctors and nurses in addition to 2,400 nurses trained in emotional support.
“The Red Cross in Japan is grateful for all the support we’ve provided and continue to send,” said Faso.
For information on how to contribute to the Japan Relief efforts, go to www.redcross.org or to make a $10 donation, text REDCROSS to 90999.
