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~iV Oi„ <br /> ~'`V <br /> COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII <br /> RESOLUTION NO. 538 08 <br /> <br /> A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MARCH 2008 AS "AMERICAN RED CROSS <br /> <br /> MONTH" IN HAWAII COUNTY TO HONOR THE INVALUABLE SERVICE THE <br /> RED CROSS PROVIDES TO THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII. <br /> WHEREAS, the American Red Cross is one of our nation's oldest and most renowned <br /> <br /> humanitarian organizations, meeting disasters with compassion and courage; and <br /> WHEREAS, founded in 1881 by Clara Barton, the American Red Cross was chartered <br /> by the United States Congress in 1905 to pro~~ide a system of relief for Americans during times <br /> of disaster and, though not a government agency itself, faithfully carries out its national and state <br /> responsibilities; and <br /> WHEREAS, the mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human <br /> suffering by coming to the aid of disaster victims, to teach people how to save lives, and to <br /> provide emergency communication between deployed soldiers and their loved ones; and <br /> WHEREAS, this mission is more relevant than ever as we confront a changing world <br /> full of unique challenges and resolve to be better prepared for any emergency; and <br /> WHEREAS, every year since 1943, the President of the United States has proclaimed <br /> March as "American Red Cross Month"; and <br /> WHEREAS, while most people are aware that the Red Cross exists worldwide, few <br /> realize the rich history the American Red Cross has in Hawaii; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Hawaii chapter was officially chartered in 1917, although its altruistic <br /> work began in Hawaii in 1898, when Princess Ka`iulani and 300 women mobilized to care for <br /> shiploads of sick and wounded soldiers during the Spanish American War; and <br /> WHEREAS, since that time, the Hawaii Red Cross has played a vital role in helping <br /> people throughout the islands by providing compassionate assistance to all those devastated by <br /> natural or man-made disasters, including hurricanes, the bombing at Pearl Harbor, landslides, <br /> floods, air crashes, hostage situations, tsunamis, lava flows, and earthquakes; and <br /> WHEREAS, from July 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007, the Hawaii chapter <br /> responded to a multitude of local emergencies, opened 12 shelters due to brushfires and <br /> Hurricane Flossie, distributed 1,861 disaster preparedness brochures to inform and educate the <br /> community, and made presentations to 28 organizations, groups, and companies to share <br /> information on disaster preparedness; and <br /> <br />