The American Red Cross encourages families to prevent kitchen fires today by taking some basic safety measures. In the U.S., Thanksgiving is the peak day for cooking fires, 90 percent of which are caused by unattended cooking.

“We all think of Thanksgiving as a time for family, good food and football, but it’s also prime time for cooking fires,” said Beth Ferguson, Development Director for the American Red Cross –Heart of Tennessee Chapter. “Taking a few simple precautions can help everyone have a safe and happy holiday.”

To keep Thanksgiving fire-free, the public should follow these ten tips:

1.  Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.

2.  If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.

3.  Be alert. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or consumed alcohol that makes you drowsy.

4.  Keep anything that can catch fire—potholders, wooden utensils, food wrappers, towels or curtains—away from your stove top.

5.  Make sure your sleeves are out of the way when cooking. Wear tighter fitting clothing with shorter sleeves. 

6.  Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

7.  Never hold a child while cooking, drinking or carrying hot foods or liquids.

8.  Turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward to avoid accidents.

9.  Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.

10. Test your smoke alarms by pushing the test button. Replace batteries at least once a year.

Ghouls and goblins will take over the night. But even scary creatures need to be safe and celebrate Halloween right. Halloween’s greatest hazards aren’t vampires and villains, but falls, costume mishaps and automobile collisions.  The Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross wants your family to have a safe Halloween so we’re providing these tips, the lucky 13:

• Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!
• From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!
• If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.
• When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.
• Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing to be seen in the dark!  (And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, skateboards and brooms!)
• Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.
• As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And cross from the corner!)
• Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!
• Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn’t a safety gamble!
• You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! (And don’t hide between parked vehicles).
• Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!
• You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
• Have a grown-up inspect your candy when you’re done trick-or-treating to remove open packages and choking hazards before eating.

For additional information on how you and your family can be prepared for emergencies on Halloween or on any day of the year, please contact your local chapter or visit www.redcross.org.

All across Tennessee local residents are planning grand ways to say their goodbyes to summer during Labor Day weekend. Before you pack up and head out on the lake or to the pool one last time, the American Red Cross asks that you take a moment to ensure you’re heading in a safe direction.

Among the concerns revelers need to watch for this holiday are crowded roadways. Whether you are sticking close to home or off on an excursion, remember, accidents can often be avoided through careful preparation. Here are a few precautions to keep in mind:

Keep a kit within reach. You should always have a first aid kit in your home, by the pool, packed with your beach gear and in your car.

You’re ready - but is your car? Don’t wait for a rattle or a warning light to find out your car isn’t up for the trip. Be sure to have brakes, tires, oil and fluids checked before taking to the roadways

Don’t keep your plans to yourself. It’s important to share your travel plans with family and friends. Let them know the dates you plan to travel and the location of where you’re staying. Always share contact numbers in case of an emergency.

Play it safe under the sun. The sun is just as hot on Labor Day as it was 4th of July, so you’ll need to take the same precautions. Always wear sunscreen when outdoors. Make sure everyone wears a hat to shield direct sunlight. Keep enough water or juice for everyone to drink continuously throughout the day and be sure to drink fluids even when you’re not thirsty.

Enjoy water the safe way. Now is not the time to forget about the rules of water safety. Remember: never swim alone, only swim in supervised areas, enter water feet first, and don’t mix alcohol with swimming or boating.

The Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross provides vital emergency assistance to help victims of local disasters in Rutherford, Bedford, Cannon, Franklin, Coffee, Lincoln, Marshall & Moore counties. Over the past year the Chapter trained nearly 15,000 people in CPR & First Aid, Babysitting and Aquatics training, and provided pre-deployment briefings and emergency communications for over 640 active duty military personnel and their families. Over 13,177 pints of life-saving blood were collected from the community last year. All of these services are made possible by over 320 dedicated local Red Cross volunteers as well as through generous gifts from the local community. To get more information please call 615) 893-4272 or log on to www.midtnredcross.org.

CMT and its pro-social initiative CMT One Country will air a live, 90-minute concert special featuring Hank Williams, Jr. and Alabama, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, Tim McGraw and many others to raise awareness and funds for those affected by the recent devastating storms, flooding and tornadoes.  The fundraising special will air live from Nashville on Thursday, May 12 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on CMT and will be simulcast on CMT.com.  Additional artists to be announced; all money raised will benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief efforts.

Hank Williams, Jr. got the ball rolling on the fundraising event this past weekend when he reached out to CMT to express his urgent desire to address the disaster:  “I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing on TV.  Alabama is home - I am really pumped about helping.  I want to raise a lot of money, and thanks to my good friends, we are going to be able to make a difference.”

"CMT's audience is reaching out to us, and to our stars, in desperation,” said Brian Philips, president, CMT.  “The other seismic news events of the past few days have had the unintended effect of limiting media coverage of this massive, historic American disaster.  Simply put, CMT and our artists will not allow this to happen.  We will raise money, and we will shine the brightest possible light on the urgent needs of our courageous neighbors.  On behalf of CMT, MTV Networks and Viacom, we strongly urge other organizations to join us in this labor of love."

“Our hearts go out to every person affected by these storms, and we’re grateful for every donation that enables the Red Cross to do whatever we possibly can do to ease their suffering and give them help,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross.

**CMT One Country encourages you to support our neighbors affected by the recent devastating tornadoes and floods.  Please text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation to support the American Red Cross Disaster Relief efforts.

CMT ONE COUNTRY, CMT's pro-social initiative, was launched in the fall of 2005 to promote civic participation and inspire CMT viewers to take action and bring about important change in their communities. For more information visit CMTONECOUNTRY.com.

CMT, a unit of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.

About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

Red Cross Volunteers will continue to canvass affected areas in Rutherford County tomorrow to distribute meals, snacks and water to affected families, clean-up volunteers and emergency workers that were in the direct path of Wednesday’s severe storms.

Since Wednesday over 40 American Red Cross volunteers have provided 701 mobile meals, over 3,000 snacks and drinks and have completed damage assessment in over 130 homes in Rutherford County.  In addition to working in Rutherford County the chapter has deployed volunteers to Chattanooga and Alabama to help with their response efforts and will continue to send other volunteers down to those areas in the near future.

Get Help:  Anyone in Rutherford County needing Red Cross assistance is encouraged to call the local Red Cross office at 615.893.4272 and follow the prompts for Disaster Assistance.  Those who were affected and living in the Huntland community can call 931.455.2501.

How to Help:  At this time all of the immediate spontaneous volunteer needs for the Heart of Tennessee Chapter have been met for this disaster.  If you are interested in becoming a trained Red Cross volunteer so that you will be ready to respond to the next disaster please sign up and complete a background check online at www.midtnredcross.org/DisasterServices today!

You can help people affected by disasters like the tornados in Tennessee by making a donation to support the Red Cross. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter located at 501 Memorial Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 www.midtnredcross.org/Donate.html or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Murfreesboro, TN - Red Cross Volunteers will be visiting affected areas in Rutherford and Franklin Counties in the Murfreesboro and Huntland communities today to begin damage assessment to homes that were damaged by yesterday’s severe storms.

The Respite Center that was opened at New Vision Baptist Church has since closed after no one needed any overnight sheltering Wednesday evening.  The Red Cross would like to extend a special thanks to the staff at New Vision Baptist for their help and willingness to open the Respite Center immediately following the storms yesterday.

During the intermittent breaks between storms yesterday, Red Cross volunteers visited several communities in the Murfreesboro area to deliver meals, snacks and water to emergency workers as well as volunteers and families who were cleaning up debris and repairing damaged homes. Red Cross volunteers are working around the clock to ensure that the emergency needs of the affected families are being addressed.

Get Help:  Anyone in Murfreesboro needing Red Cross assistance is encouraged to call the local Red Cross office at 615.893.4272 and follow the prompts for Disaster Assistance.  Those living in the Huntland community can call 931.455.2501.

How to Help:

You can help your local Red Cross assist local disaster victims in our community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by making a contribution to the Heart of Tennessee Chapter at 501 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro, TN 37129 or online at www.midtnredcross.org.   At this time all of the immediate spontaneous volunteer needs for the Heart of Tennessee Chapter have been met for this disaster.  If you are interested in becoming a trained Red Cross volunteer so that you will be ready to respond to the next disaster please sign up and complete a background check online at www.midtnredcross.org today!

The American Red Cross does not accept or solicit small, individual donations or collections of items for emergency relief purposes.  Small items such as collections of food, used clothing, and shoes often must be cleaned, sorted, and repackaged which impedes the valuable resources of money, time, and personnel that are needed for other aspects of our relief operation. The Red Cross, in partnership with other agencies, suggests that the best use for those types of donations is to support needy agencies within your community that are capable of processing these items.  Community members who have items to donate such as bottled water, non-perishable foods, diapers, baby food and formula, cleaning supplies and other necessity items are encouraged to do so through our partner agencies by calling 2-1-1.

The Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross provides vital emergency assistance to help victims of local disasters in Rutherford, Bedford, Cannon, Franklin, Coffee & Moore counties. Over the past year the Chapter trained nearly 15,000 people in CPR & First Aid, Babysitting and Aquatics training, and provided pre-deployment briefings and emergency communications for over 640 active duty military personnel and their families. Over 13,177 pints of life-saving blood were collected from the community last year. All of these services are made possible by over 320 dedicated local Red Cross volunteers as well as through generous gifts from the local community. To get more information please call 615) 893-4272 or log on to www.midtnredcross.org.

The American Red Cross – Heart of Tennessee Chapter will host its grand opening and ribbon cutting event to commemorate their new building on April 7^th at the new location at 501 Memorial Blvd.

What:  Grand Opening Celebration for the American Red Cross – Heart of Tennessee Chapter

Where:  501 Memorial Blvd. – Murfreesboro, TN

When: Thursday, April 7^th at 10 o’clock a.m.

The new location, in the former Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce building, on Memorial Blvd. puts the Red Cross visibly in the heart of the community.  Easily accessible for donations, as well as training and emergency response, the new Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross will be better able to build awareness of its services and will stand as a true community center for aid, relief & education.

The American Red Cross has been America’s best known and most respected charity.  Last year it touched the lives of one in five Americans, often in the context of disaster and personal loss.  It is the pre-eminent provider of community disaster education, life saving blood products, health and safety training and disaster relief assistance.

The demand for the Red Cross has grown increasingly over the past two years.  It has responded to evacuees from Hurricane Gustav, the 2009 Good Friday Tornados and May 2010 flooding.

With the new state-of-the-art facility for our community, the Red Cross can collect the needed funds to help and to continue training in CPR, First Aid and Aquatics Safety, and continue collecting life-saving blood for use in the local medical facilities and provide support and emergency communications for hundreds of local families who have loved ones serving in the Armed Forces throughout the world.

The Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross provides vital emergency assistance to help victims of local disasters in Rutherford, Bedford, Cannon, Franklin, Coffee & Moore counties. Last year your Red Cross provided $225,366 in direct financial assistance to those affected by all disasters. Over the past year the Chapter trained 12,591 people in CPR & First Aid, Babysitting and Aquatics training, and provided pre-deployment briefings and emergency communications for over 206 active duty military personnel and their families. Over 12,000 pints of life-saving blood were collected from the community last year. All of these services are made possible by over 320 dedicated local Red Cross volunteers as well as through gen

The American Red Cross’ mission statement is about saving lives in emergency situations and meeting the humanitarian needs in disaster. In the Health and Safely department of the American Red Cross, one focus is saving lives through Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Nationally, the Red Cross trains five million people in CPR annually and the goal is to train an additional five million Americans with the new Citizens CPR in 2011.

The American Red Cross has now increased the certification length for all CPR classes to two years. In the past, this has always been a one year certification.  This means that all CPR classes taken through the Red Cross will have to be taken once every two years, not annually to maintain certification. The Red Cross will offer free online refresher courses that individuals can take to stay up to date with the information. The Red Cross is also providing online training courses that allow participants to take the courses at convenient times from home. The ‘classroom’ portion is done online and then the person comes to the chapter for a 90 minute skills check session to make sure all the skills are understood and practiced on a mannequin.

Compression Only or Citizen’s CPR is a 30 minute course offering the ‘hands only’ CPR technique.  It consists of compressions only at a rate of 100 beats a minute to the rhythm of the song “Stayin’ Alive”. Recent research shows that if more people learned ‘hands-only’ CPR we can increase the likelihood of surviving cardiac emergencies that occur outside a hospital setting. In a life-threatening situation, performing ‘hands-only’ CPR is so much better than doing nothing at all. A recent Red Cross national survey showed that one in four people have been involved in a situation where someone needed CPR.

To increase awareness of the new online options, the Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is offering a discount on the online CPR classes in February and March.

Nashville, TN - The American Red Cross and HCA’s TriStar Health System are teaming up to deliver holiday cards to service members, their families and veterans, many of whom will be far from home this holiday season. The Holiday Mail for Heroes program provides Americans with the opportunity to send holiday greetings and a note of thanks to our men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Now until December 3rd, the public is invited to send a “touch of home” through holiday cards that contain messages of cheer and appreciation. Cards may be dropped off at local TriStar Hospital locations.

The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes will then screen cards for hazardous materials, sort and package the cards, and deliver them to military bases and hospitals, veteran’s hospitals and other locations during the holidays. Pitney Bowes is providing all screening, packaging and shipping at no charge. The Red Cross will utilize hundreds of volunteers to sort and box cards for delivery to service men and women, veterans and family members in November and December.

“Sending a greeting card is a small effort that makes a big impact for our American heroes during the holiday season,” said Joel Sullivan, Nashville Area Red Cross Chapter CEO. “The American Red Cross serves and supports members of the military, veterans, and their families by providing emergency communications, comfort and assistance each day. The Holiday Mail for Heroes program continues the Red Cross tradition of service to the armed forces.”

“We owe a great debt to the men and women in our military who answer our country’s call to service, many of whom will be away from their homes and families this holiday season,” said Larry Kloess, president of TriStar Health System. “We are happy to join in this initiative and help brighten the holidays for those who will spend this season protecting the freedom that allows us all to enjoy this special time of year. And since our hospitals are always open throughout the Greater Middle Tennessee community, each TriStar facility is proud to serve as a public drop-off location for our local communities to share in the spirit of giving.”

Holiday cards should be addressed to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The public is invited to participate in the Holiday Mail For Heroes campaign and donate a greeting card at any of the following locations:

• Centennial Medical Center Centennial at Ashland City
• The Women’s Hospital at Centennial Hendersonville Medical Center
• Skyline Medical Center Skyline Madison Campus
• Southern Hills Medical Center StoneCrest Medical Center
• Summit Medical Center Horizon Medical Center
• Greenview Regional Hospital

Holiday Mail For Heroes/Page 2

Please be sure to affix adequate postage. Cards must be received no later than December 3rd. Cards received after this date will be returned to senders. For reasons of processing and safety, participants are asked to refrain from sending “care packages,” monetary gifts, using glitter or including any inserts with the cards.

Visit www.nashvilleredcross.org to learn more about the Nashville Area Chapter’s Service to the Armed Forces.

Nashville, TN - In celebration of the Grand Re-Opening Festivities at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Trace Adkins will perform a benefit concert with guest Craig Morgan with proceeds going to help the Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, Hands on Nashville, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

The “Greater Together 2010” fundraising concert will be hosted at the Gaylord Opryland Resort on Thursday, November 18, at 7:30 p.m., following the world-famous lighting ceremony for the hotel’s annual A Country Christmas celebration. Tickets are available through the Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. All proceeds from ticket sales will be a direct contribution to the organization.

Tickets are $50 each and include

• Concert admittance
• Free parking
• Free food (hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, soda
• Discounted beer and wine available to those 21+ years of age

For more information and/or to purchase additional tickets for this event and support the American Red Cross, please call the Red Cross office at 615.250.4300 or log on to www.nashvilleredcross.org/greatertogether

“We hope that the community will join us at this fabulous concert and celebration in honor of the thousands of volunteers who took to the streets to help their neighbors after the unprecedented flooding that swept through the city in May,” said Joel Sullivan, Nashville Area Red Cross Chapter CEO.

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center has been closed since the record-breaking flood in early May forced the facility to evacuate more than 1,500 guests and employees. After nearly seven months of extensive reconstruction and renovations, the hotel will officially open its doors on Monday, November 15. A three-day Grand Reopening celebration will be held beginning Thursday, November 18th, to Saturday, November 20th, with thousands of meeting planners and honored guests being invited to enjoy the best entertainment that Music City USA has to offer. The reopening celebration is designed to showcase the entire city of Nashville as the perfect travel destination for business or pleasure.