OC Red Cross stretched to Winter’s Limit

The start of the New Year has been unusual to say the least.  Artic temperatures, record electricity use and a major power outage have captured recent headlines.  Another troubling headline associated with the frigid winter weather is 17 residential fires in Oconee County this season.  These incidents are stretching the Oconee County Chapter of the American Red Cross to the limits, explains executive director Kathy Rogers.  “I’m scrambling around, I do this annual holiday campaign every year in November and December and I have a $30,000 goal and I haven’t reached, I’m at $25,000, so I have extended it on into January hoping that by the end of the month, I can reach that $30,000 goal.” Rogers tells how to donate to the Red Cross.  “They can call me and I can pick up the checks.  They can mail it to American Red Cross, 224 East Main Street in Walhalla, 29691.  They can call me and I can take a credit card number, if that makes it easier and like I said I don’t mind picking them up.  It is still tied into our holiday campaign, which is now a winter campaign, where we can publish their name, if they approve, in a full page ad in the Seneca Journal that the Journal donates to us.”  The number for the Oconee County Chapter of the American Red Cross is 864-638-5619.  This is the third year of the chapter’s winter campaign, which coincides with fire season when the need is greatest for the Red Cross.