Imagine waking up to the smell of smoke and the screaming of a fire alarm. Now imagine standing out in the cold watching your house engulfed in flames, your belongings going up in smoke. At a time like this, when it seems that you’ve lost it all, Red Cross is there to provide comfort and relief.

We are there because of our Heroes: everyday folks throughout southeastern Wisconsin who help raise money for Red Cross. This May, during our second annual Heroes campaign, they dedicated themselves to a remarkable goal—to make sure that the American Red Cross can respond to disasters in their community, and help their neighbors prevent and prepare for emergencies.

They’re our Heroes and they range from local restaurants like Cousins Subs and Culver’s to community organizations like AM Community Credit Union and Roundy’s, from older adults to school children. This year, children at several elementary schools throughout the area held “penny wars.” With 800 pennies collected during this competition, Red Cross will be able to provide a stuffed animal for a little girl who has lost all her toys in a house fire.

We’re grateful for our everyday Heroes, for their willingness to raise money – no matter how large or small they amount – to help Red Cross do what it does best: help people prevent, prepare for and respond to everyday emergencies right here in our community.

So to all our Heroes, thank you for your dedication to helping Red Cross help our communities.

The American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin relies on donations of time and money so they can provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies in Dodge, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties. To donate your time, please visit our Volunteer page. Financial donations can be made online through our secure contribution site.