When Clifford Wood received the Clara Barton Volunteer Service Award in recognition of his volunteer work for the American Red Cross, he also viewed the honor as an accolade to his late wife, Fay.
Wood, a resident of Ulysses, as well as several dozen other volunteers and friends of the Red Cross, accepted awards Friday during the local chapter’s Centennial Luncheon at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The event, sponsored by Erie Insurance, was held in the University Room at Frame-Westerberg Commons.
“It’s been a great celebration with the community and volunteers coming together as usual in honor of our centennial,” said Pam Masi, executive director of the American Red Cross of Northwestern Pennsylvania in Erie.
Geoffrey Domowicz, district program specialist for the agency, opened the ceremony with a brief history of the local agency since it was chartered in Bradford in May of 1917. Domowicz said the Red Cross chapter in Bradford was set up in response to the onset of World War I and has continued on ever since. In the past 100 years, the agency has gone through a number of changes and locations in the community, but always provided humanitarian services, disaster relief and help for those in need.
Currently, the agency serves the McKean, Potter, Elk and Cameron communities when needs and disasters arise. The local office, now located in a suite in the Hooker-Fulton building in downtown Bradford, orchestrates numerous activities that include regular blood drives in various communities.
Domowicz, as well as Jason Bange, disaster program manager, told the volunteers that the agency existed because of their service and dedication.
“Through the support of people like yourselves, we hope to continue our mission for the next 100 years,” Domowicz said. Following his comments, Domowicz announced the winners of several awards that included the Clara Barton Volunteer Service Award given to individuals for their dedication. Barton, a “pioneering nurse,” founded the American Red Cross in 1882. The award was presented to several regional volunteers as well as Wood, a local volunteer.
Afterward, Wood, a retired teacher from the Northern Potter School District in Ulysses, said his wife, who died last year, had also been a dedicated volunteer for the Red Cross.
“She was very involved and went out on a lot of disasters,” Wood said of his late wife. “She went to Louisiana and Florida for a couple of disasters.”
Wood said they both had served the Red Cross for 35 years or more. Their two sons, Scott of Florida and Jim of Corry, have followed in their parents’ footsteps by serving as volunteers.
Other local volunteers honored included Years of Service awardees Tonya Ackley of Bradford, Earl Jordon of Ulysses, Patricia Mayer of Smethport and Marlene Eaton of Eldred who also received a Hurricane Matthew Response Pin.
Receiving Flood Response pins were Paula Pierce of Kane, Tony Varone of Lewis Run,
Thomas Schultz of Ulysses and Chris Dunn of Bradford.
Dunn said he has volunteered for the Red Cross since his middle school years. He also volunteers for other organizations in the community. Dunn was honored for traveling to help flood victims in Connellsville last year.
“I would go back again,” Dunn said. “I went for disaster assessment” of all flooded houses in the community.
Other volunteers at the event included Joe and Linda Mitchell of Ulysses and Steve and Mary Jo Zimmett of St. Marys. Both couples said they enjoyed helping with blood mobiles in their communities. The Mitchells said they have volunteered for approximately eight years.
“I like the social aspect of it,” Linda Mitchell said. “A lot of the people who come to the blood mobiles I don’t get to visit any other time.”
Mary Jo Zimmett said she began volunteering after she attended a Red Cross luncheon with her husband. She began her volunteer work by helping with the PillowCase Project for children. The program teaches school children about emergency supplies that can be put in pillowcases for easy, quick access in their homes.
On a final note, Steve Zimmett said a message he wanted to convey to the public, and hopes they’ll heed is, “We need more blood donors!”
For more information on the Red Cross, blood mobiles and volunteering, call the agency in Bradford at 814-368-6197.
