Hats Off event at center today

In celebration of March as National Red Cross Month, officials with the Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross are holding their Third Annual Hats Off Event today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kukui Grove Center, they said in a press release.

Off-duty police officers, firefighters, Civil Defense and military officials, and other volunteers, will be taking their hats off as a salute to the American Red Cross workers, and asking members of the public to fill their hats with donations for the American Red Cross.

“Every year, we respond to an average of 140 disasters (one ever two to three days), providing emergency assistance and support to those who have lost everything,” said Coralie Chun Matayoshi, corporate executive officer of the Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross.

“We are not a government agency, and rely on donations from the people of Hawai‘i to provide these critical services to the community. All of the funds collected will go to the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, to support local services for Hawai‘i’s people,” she said.

All Red Cross assistance to disaster victims is free.

Beyond responding to disaster victims with caring and compassion, the mission of the staff and volunteers of American Red Cross is about saving lives, and those with the Hawaii State Chapter do just that, by training over 37,000 people per year how to save lives through CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), first aid, lifeguarding, swimming, nurse aide, baby-sitting, and pet first aid throughout the state.

The Red Cross also provides emergency communications between deployed Hawai‘i soldiers and their loved ones, and provides international tracing services for those torn apart by war or disaster. To support the work of the Red Cross in Hawai‘i by making a financial donation, call 1-808-739-8109, or visit www.hawaiiredcross.org.