It’s March and it’s Red Cross Month.
It was in 1943 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed March as Red Cross month as a way to raise awareness of the organization and its humanitarian mission in the midst of war.
A line from his proclamation reads: “I request that during that month (March) our people rededicate themselves to the splendid aims and activities of the Red Cross.”
In American Samoa, the Red Cross presence dates back to February 16, 1923 memorialized in a Document of Certification that sits in the Red Cross office- prescribed by the Central Committee at Washington~ Chairman: Judge John Barton Payne; Secretary: Mabel T. Boardman; and President: Calvin Coolidge.
This year the American Red Cross in American Samoa celebrates 94 years of service.
Kicking off the celebration, a team of Red Crossers led by Youth Club Coordinator/Water Safety Instructor-Zero I’aulualo assisted by Volunteer Outreach Coordinator- Bella Asiata, Volunteer 
Youth/Safety- Madjid Al-Shehri and Operations Manager- Val V. Tuilefano conducted what the American Red Cross calls the Citizen CPR only course.
This free CPR only training usually takes about 30 minutes.
However, since the request and invitation came from the Tafuna High School Teachers Vocational-Education Department \the team spent an hour to allow clinical practice of 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths as well as time for crucial questions.
Mrs. Fiatele Aiono, Voc-Ed, DH says one of the main reasons she reached out to the American Red Cross American Samoa for a CPR demonstration was due to the tragic electrocution incident last month.
She says the tragedy hit home to many of their teachers as some of the victims or bystanders involved were former students.
She felt it was time for her fellow teachers to learn, refresh and or continue to practice the life-saving-skills offered for free by the local American Red Cross called, Citizen CPR.
Manager Val V. Tuilefano, says over the years Tafuna High School has consistently referred many of students needing community service hours to volunteer for red Cross.
It’s also a great way for the students to learn some basic CPR through the condensed, made simple Citizen CPR course.
Listen out for information on upcoming Citizen CPR training offered during Red Cross Month as well as CPR/First Aid Certification courses.
