On Monday, June 15th, the scene at Germantown Country Club was one of eager anticipation and commeraderie even on a hot, muggy afternoon, as golfers from across the Mid-South gathered for the first annual "Swing for Relief" Golf Tournament benefitting the emergency and disaster services provided by the Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Scene from the shotgun start at Germantown Country Club
From the pre-lunch check-in to the closing awards reception, the event was admirably supported by area businesses. The first place team in the four man scramble was from Watsons' Family Leisure, contributors of the first and second place prizes for the event. True southern gentlemen that they are, they graciously agreed to swap their first place prize of a $500 gift certificate for each team member with the third place prize winners ... making the team of Dr. William Terrell of the Memphis and Shelby County Pediatric Group very happy, indeed! Second place in the event went to the Belfor Restoration team, new corporate partners of the Mid-South Chapter and international experts in disaster recovery.
Josh Cald, Brice Black, Bruce Black and Tom Rowan, of Watson's Family Leisure, 1st Place Winners
Contest winners for the event included KIM-FM's Tom Prestigiaccomo for the most accurate drive ... appropos of a man who so accurately co-hosts the morning drive programming weekdays for the top-rated radio station.
Cyndy McNamara, Tournament Director, with Most Accurate Drive winner, Tom Prestigiaccomo, Co-Host of KIM-FM's weekday morning drive show.
Jeremy Flippin won the Closest to the Flag contest and Shannon Dyson won the Putting Contest.
Many thanks to the follwing area businesses that supported the "Swing for Relief" Golf Tournament:
Baptist Memorial Health Care, Citadel Media Group, Watson's Family Leisure, ParMasters, Honey Baked Ham, Buffalo Wild Wings, D Canale Beverages, BarDett Distributing, DAC Fitness, Costco, Lowe's, Rendezvous, Flemings Steakhouse, ALCO Management, Ashley's Furniture, Sam's Club, Walmart, Harrah's Entertainment, The Commissary, Blue Fish, Soulfish, Bosco's, Fesh Market, Sports Pub, The Butcher Shop, The Dive Shop, Fox & Hound, Davis-Kidd, Gleneagle Golf Course, TPC Southwind, Windyke Country Club and Golf Discount Warehouse.
On June 17th, the Mid-South Chapter held its Annual Meeting & Luncheon at First Evangelical Christian Church in Memphis. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to report to Chapter members on the accomplishments and challenges of the prior year (the Chapter's fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th) and to elect officers for the coming year.
The Chapter Board, in a strong vote of confidence and with appreciation for his efforts as Board Chairman in the last two years, re-elected David Elliott, Vice President of Managed Care for Baptist Memorial Health Care, as Board President. What made this most significant is that Mr. Elliott's maximum term of service expired on June 30, 2009. His re-election as President of the Board required not only the vote of the Mid-South Chapter's Board of Directors, but the approval of the National Board of Governors of the American National Red Cross, to become effective and provide the extension of his term in office.
The report for the 2008 - 2009 fiscal year was one citing an unusually high incidence of disaster service and an unusually high number of cases of families requesting disaster and emergency services due to residential fires. Also, the Chapter's service to the families of active duty deployed military personnel sawa sharp increase. The struggling economy, the worst since the early 1970's, was cited as a primary cause in both cases. On a more positive note, it was reported that contributions were stronger this year than for the prior two years, but still not enough to cover the increased demand for assistance.
If you would like to help the Chapter meet the rising demand for humanitarian assistance right here at home in the Mid-South, please click on the "Donate Now" drop-down menu on the upper left-hand side of this site.
The following message is from David Meltzer, Senior Vice President, International Services:
Earlier this week, President Obama launched the United We Serve campaign which calls on everyone to make volunteerism part of daily life. The summer months provide a wealth of opportunities to increase volunteerism at your local unit, and International Services would like suggest to one easy project.
Help volunteers connect with your chapter by asking them to sign the Facebook Causes petition. The American Red Cross recently launched its first ever online petition to support the teaching of international humanitarian law—the rules of war that protect civilians, wounded combatants and POWs—in schools. By inviting your volunteers to sign the petition, you can establish an easy connection with both new and long-standing volunteers.
How can you help? First, sign the EHL petition yourself. Then, contact your unit’s volunteer network through e-mail and ask them to sign as well. Not only will you be contributing to one of the Red Cross’s mandates—educating Americans about international humanitarian law—but you’ll also be introducing an exciting new element to your volunteer relationships.
Sign the petition at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/193 and spread the word to your friends!
From Memphis Daily News
Red Cross Tries To Regain Footing After Layoffs by Tom Wilemon
The institution that should be the bedrock of stability for any disaster needs more community support to fulfill that mission.
The Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross is rebuilding its financial footing one month after laying off a third of its staff. That goal requires volunteers as much as money, said Robert Hoguet, the organization’s executive director.
The Red Cross is expanding its board, which currently has no representatives from nearby DeSoto or Crittenden counties, as it seeks to recruit more community leaders. It also needs volunteers with expertise in specific areas.
“We need volunteers of all stripes,” Hoguet said. “This doesn’t mean you have to be somebody getting up at 3 a.m. when the fire happens. We certainly need those folks, but maybe you want to help in our health and safety department by maintaining the equipment for our instructors and help us keep our costs down. Or maybe you’re a photographer who can do stuff when there is a need for publicity. Or maybe you’re someone who likes to work at a special event.”
Money and manpower
At the top of the list are volunteers with information technology expertise, he said. Hoguet is of the opinion that the money will follow the volunteers.
Although the prolonged recession was a factor for the chapter laying off nine of its 26 employees and reducing four additional employees to part-time status, the chapter had actually been losing money and drawing down on assets in prior years.
When Elise Smithwick Miles died in 2005, she left the Mid-South Chapter $1.8 million. That money helped the Red Cross offset increased expenses from multiple disasters.
The chapter’s assets decreased $335,634 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006, and $282,682 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007. The next fiscal year, the figure ballooned to $938,106.
When the recession hit, the chapter’s return on investments could no longer offset costs. Investment income of more $400,000 for the year ended June 30, 2007, became an investment loss of $86,000 for the year ended June 30, 2008. The investment fund has continued to suffer with the worsening economy.
Simultaneous to these events, cash flow suffered because of a turnover in the fundraising staff.
“The chapter has been losing money for a number of years,” Hoguet said. “We’ve been able to live on that because we had a significant bequest back in 2005 from an estate. We’ve unfortunately consumed some of that to keep our operations going.”
Not a government agency
The Red Cross also had to deal with a $100,000 drop from the United Way of the Mid-South after a series of disasters.
“As much as the reductions from the United Way have been difficult to absorb, I don’t want to be critical of them because I’m a believer in the United Way,” Hoguet said. “They are still our single most source of funding.”
The United Way’s support for the Red Cross is $721,844 this year. The service areas for the two nonprofit agencies are almost mirror images. The Red Cross in recent years has assisted people in the Mid-South through tornadoes and fires as well as hurricane evacuations.
“The last year, meaning our fiscal 2008 year, was extremely dramatic for us in our disasters,” he said. “We had two tornadoes of significance. One in Hickory Hill right here in Memphis and one in Earle, Ark. This chapter covers seven counties. We touch three states.”
The Red Cross also had a record number of families who needed help after fires.
An expanded board of directors with vocal supporters is key to putting the Red Cross back on solid footing, Hoguet said. The board has been expanded from 10 to 14 members, and the organization is looking to add another 10.
Special events, such as a February fundraiser for the organization at Harrah’s Tunica and a wine and food pairing in Germantown, have helped to increase visibility. The Red Cross has also replaced fundraising staff. Their mission is to sign up more corporate sponsors and individual donors.
The organization’s current fiscal year ends this week so the numbers haven’t been added up yet for what is likely to be another loss.
“One of our advantages and disadvantages is that we have one of the most recognizable symbols in the world,” Hoguet said. “People think we are part of the government. They think we are financially supported by the government, and we’re not.”
