Tag Archives: Central Coast

A silver anniversary of love

Posted on by

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the devastating Loma Prieta Earthquake, our region has been gathering stories from people who experienced the quake three decades ago in an effort to encourage preparedness today. The following is a story from 2014.

michele-patsy-camilla_420x279

The long-term relationship between Patsy Gasca, center, and the American Red Cross began the same day the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck almost 30 years ago. This week, the Disaster Program Manager for the Central Coast Chapter took a minute to pose for a photo with Red Cross colleagues Michele Averill (left), chapter CEO, and Camilla Boolootian, regional development officer.
_____

By Carlos M. Rodriguez

October 17, 1989, started off as an ordinary day for Patsy Gasca. But at 5:04 p.m., the Loma Prieta earthquake struck Northern California, causing widespread damage from the San Francisco metropolis to the much smaller towns in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook the ground for 15 seconds, changing Patsy’s life forever. Before the day was done, the 28-year-old Santa Cruz mother of three would volunteer as a case worker, beginning what has become a 25-year love affair with the American Red Cross. Read more

1989 earthquake was a life-changing moment for Red Cross’ Rick Martinez

Posted on by

Almost 30 years ago, on October 17, 1989, the devastating Loma Prieta Earthquake rocked most of Northern California. Particularly hard hit were Bay Area and Central Coast communities, areas that sustained loss of life and catastrophic damage. To commemorate the anniversary of this devastating earthquake, our region has been gathering stories from people who experienced Loma Prieta 30 years ago in an effort to encourage preparedness today. The following is a story that was posted on the Central Coast Chapter web site in December 2017.

rick-martinez_420x279

Rick Martinez was photographed at the lifeguard station on the Santa Cruz Wharf in 2017, almost 30 years after the earthquake that introduced him to the American Red Cross.

By Jim Burns

Before he embarked on a career in law enforcement almost 30 years ago, Rick Martinez dreamed of working in the hospitality industry.

“I had been very interested in doing restaurant or hotel/motel work,” he said.

Then the fatally destructive Loma Prieta Earthquake struck with mega-force in October 1989. Read more

Remembering the Loma Prieta Earthquake: 30 Years Later

Posted on by

loma prieta 420x279On October 17, 1989, the devastating 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake rocked Northern California with the Bay Area and Central Coast bearing the brunt of the impact. The resulting catastrophic damage and loss of life forever changed the landscape, infrastructure, and people of the Golden State.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary, the American Red Cross is gathering stories from those who experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake. Through sharing these stories of recovery and resiliency, we hope to encourage active preparation for the next major event. If you have a memory, experience, or photos/videos from Loma Prieta, we invite you to share them with us. Read more

Caring donors make Santa Cruz blood drive a special success

Posted on by
zoe-brouillet_420x279

Zoë Brouillet is following in her father’s footsteps as a regular Red Cross blood donor.
_____

You could almost say that helping others is in Zoë Brouillet‘s blood.

That’s why the 19-year-old Santa Cruz resident shifted gears halfway through a “Gap Year” program last year, deciding that her time between finishing high school and beginning college would be better spent in Asia helping the disadvantaged, rather than in Italy studying opera. “I decided part way through the year that I wanted to change locations so the experience could be about something greater than me,” Zoë said. “I ended up helping build water-filtration systems in Cambodia, treat Agent Orange victims in Vietnam, and conserve elephants in Thailand.”

That’s also why Zoë was one of the first people in the Santa Cruz office of the American Red Cross yesterday morning for a blood drive event. Read more

Even though spring has passed, it’s still ‘Sound the Alarm’ season

Posted on by
sta_2019-07_san-jose_jennifer-ken2

New Regional CEO Jennifer Adrio joined Silicon Valley Chapter CEO Ken Toren, more than 100 chapter volunteers, and partner teams at a very successful Sound the Alarm event earlier this month in San Jose. (Photo: Camilla Boolootian)
_____

On average, home fires kill 7 people and injure another 36 — every single day in the United States. That’s why the American Red Cross launched its nationwide Home Fire Campaign in 2014 with the goal of reducing the number of home fire deaths and injuries.

A key component of the campaign is a series of Sound the Alarm – Save a Life smoke alarm installation events in which Red Cross volunteers, working with local fire departments and other partners, visit high-risk neighborhoods to offer to install free 10-year smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms, and help families create escape plans. It is believed that the Sound the Alarm neighborhood visits, in which more than 1.5 million alarms have been installed, have already saved more than 600 lives throughout the United States since the Home Fire Campaign began.

Teams throughout the American Red Cross’s Northern California Coastal Region were especially busy in April and May, organizing and holding a large number of Sound the Alarm “signature events.” These events were part of a special spring push that American Red Cross volunteers and our partners were making nationally from April 27 through May 12. The goal of this national effort was to install 100,000 smoke alarms during that three-weekend period. Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »