m13940552_Photo_History_-_4

1977

To better prepare Red Cross disaster workers in Southern California, local chapters joined with the Los Angeles Chapter to establish an annual Disaster Institute to offer train-ing at all levels. The institute was held over the years at local colleges so those attending would not have long commutes. Last institute was held in 1990.

1978

A new and far-reaching com-munity health program, free health screening fairs, was launched in cooperation with local television station NBC4 and the Hospital Council of Southern California. Health fairs were held throughout Southern California for the next 20 years as Health Fair Expo to provide free health examinations, information and referrals.

1978

Heavy rains and resulting mud slides in February and March took eight lives and forced the evacuation of homes in can-yons and washes. The chapter joined other local chapters in opening 21 shelters and pro-viding assistance for 2,300 af-fected families.

1978

Two major brush fires, in Malibu and in Agoura, de-stroyed 315 homes and forced thousands from their homes, with many staying in two shel-ters opened by the chapter. Further assistance also was given to these families in ser-vice centers opened to help families back on the road to normal living.

1980

The Los Angeles Chapter hosted the national American Red Cross convention, with more than 3,000 delegates from across the nation de-scending on Los Angeles. The Convention Center was the site of the opening ceremony that featured a Parade of Vol-unteers.

1980

Highlight of national conven-tion activities was a Red Cross Expo held in Pershing Square across from the convention headquarters in the Biltmore Hotel. All Red Cross services were on display, many giving demonstrations.

1980s

The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted a number of special Red Cross nights at Dodger Stadium to promote first aid and CPR training and to en-courage local residents to do-nate blood.

1980s

Discovery of HIV/AIDS, and the fact that it could be trans-mitted through blood dona-tions, caused the American Red Cross and the chapter to develop extensive educational and informational programs for the community. Chapter staff developed an AIDS in the Workplace course that was used nationally.

1981

The chapter participated in the American Red Cross cen-tennial with a display at the Museum of Science and Indus-try and a Picnic in the Park at Exposition Park, highlighting Red Cross services.

1981

After several years of prepara-tion, the chapter moved from its home of 40 years on South Vermont Avenue to new head-quarters at 2700 Wilshire Blvd. The property purchased included land at 7th Street and Rampart Blvd. where facilities were constructed to house the chapters warehouse, purchas-ing and transportation depart-ments.

1984

With the Los Angeles Chapter taking the lead, American Red Cross chapters in Southern California were given responsi-bility for providing first aid services for spectators at all venues of the Summer Olym-pics held here that year. First aiders were trained and served throughout the Olympics.

19841985

Because of public concern af-ter seeing heart rendering photos of a devastating fam-ine in Ethiopia, the chapter re-sponded by conducting a cam-paign for relief funds. Actor Charlton Heston went on an American Red Cross fact-finding mission to Ethiopia, and reported findings at a news conference. Other celeb-rities attended a fund raising event in Hollywood.

1985

The chapter received national recognition when George F. Moody, a past chapter chair-man, was appointed as the na-tional American Red Cross chairman by President Ronald Reagan.

1985

Assistance for the homeless was provided by the chapter through its support of several programs, including the Screening and Referral Ser-vices/High Risk Homeless program operated by the chapter at the Weingart Cen-ter on Skid Row, beginning in 1985 and into the early 1990s. It provided 60-day transi-tional housing and counseling services to help solve clients problems that keep people on the streets.

1985

The chapter established a Tis-sue Services as part of Blood Services. Purpose of the new service was to provide al-lograft tissue, such as bone, skin, heart valves and tendons, to repair or replaced injured or diseased tissue. The pro-gram continued until 2005, when it was discontinued by Blood Services.

19841986

After a series of major disas-ters internationally, the chap-ter established itself as a leader in international services by providing assistance and disaster personnel to aid vic-tims of a gas explosion and a devastating earthquake in Mexico, a volcanic eruption and mud slide in Colombia and an earthquake in El Sal-vador.

1987

On October 1, a major earth-quake, with an epicenter near Whittier, rocked Southern California and caused destruc-tion in the central and eastern parts of Los Angeles County. Nearly 10,000 Southern Cali-fornians flocked to the 21 Red Cross shelters opened to pro-vide a place to sleep, food, heath and mental health ser-vices for thousands affected by the quake. Many residents stayed in tent shelters, fearing further tremors.

1988

Blood Services began a coop-erative program with the Na-tional Marrow Donor Registry to test and register prospective bone marrow donors. Major recipients of marrow are leu-kemia and aplastic anemia pa-tients. The program was dis-continued in the early 2000s.

1989

On October 17, a 7.1 magni-tude earthquake struck the Bay Area, taking 63 lives and injuring 24,000 others. The Los Angeles Chapter sent dis-aster workers and mobile feed-ing equipment to join local volunteers in providing assis-tance, while Blood Services sent 290 units of Group O blood for the injured in hospi-tals.

19902002

The Los Angeles Chapter, in cooperation with television sta-tion ABC7, began an annual health fair throughout South-ern California exclusively for children at which they received free health screenings and free immunizations against child-hood diseases.

19901991

With Red Cross chapters na-tionwide, the Los Angeles Chapter provided support for military personnel serving in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and their fami-lies. Two chapter volunteers, Rachel Tarses and William Al-ley, served as Red Cross field directors in Kuwait and were awarded the Bronze Star by the military for their out-standing service.

1992

On April 29, the chapter re-sponded to the civil distur-bance that rocked Los Ange-les. Six shelters were opened for the nearly 400 families who were displaced from their homes. Red Cross also as-sisted members of the Korean community who lost their in-come when their businesses were destroyed.