Red Cross sells pins for a cause

Andie Naugler, Editor-In-Chief|February 18, 2014

Club+member%2C+Kaylin+Brennan%2C+hands+senior+and+president+of+Red+Cross+Club%2C+Masami+Amakawa%2C+money+collected+for+the+Measles+Initiative.+Every+year+Red+Cross+Club+participates+in+the+Measles+Initiative+to+raise+money+for+less+fortunate+children+who+cannot+afford+to+pay+for+measles+vaccines.+

Adoley Swaniker

Club member, Kaylin Brennan, hands senior and president of Red Cross Club, Masami Amakawa, money collected for the Measles Initiative. Every year Red Cross Club participates in the Measles Initiative to raise money for less fortunate children who cannot afford to pay for measles vaccines.

One dollar may not seem like a lot, but in reality, it can help to save a life.

“The fundraiser is a measles initiative,” senior and vice president of Red Cross club Vylana Trang said. “We sell pins to raise money for vaccines for people in third-world countries. Each vaccine costs one dollar, so we are selling our pins for one dollar as well.”

The measles mission is a large scale project that involves not only Red Cross, but also the United Nations Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, World Health Organization and the Measles & Rubella Initiative. One hundred percent of the money raised goes towards vaccinations for children.  Red Cross club sends the raised money to the national headquarters of Red Cross in Washington D.C. and from there, the money is then distributed to countries all around the world.

“From the headquarters, they are going to send the money to places like Uganda, Tanzania and anywhere middle east as well as African countries to help children in need,” senior and president Masami Amakawa said.

Red Cross organizes several projects throughout the year for students to participate in but has one primary project per semester. This is their second semester spring project that started on Jan. 30 and will be carried on until the end of May.

“The mission statement of Red Cross is to help other people in need and to alleviate their suffering,” Amakawa said. “Basically what we do as a club is try to find community service events in Carlsbad or San Diego to support people in the community and make a difference on a global scale.”

If you are interested in purchasing a pin, you can ask any Red Cross member and acquire one. The pins are similar to the breast cancer ribbons but is white with red dots to represent measles.

“We have meetings every even Thursday in room 7105,” Trang said. “If you would like to learn more, purchase a pin or even help with the fundraiser. Our main goal is to help out the community in general and to provide awareness for natural disasters as well as aid people in need.”