News Release: February 15, 2002
Contact: Janice Osborne, Manager-Media & Community Affairs
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262
The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley will hold its fourth annual "Save-A-Life Saturday" at Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown on Saturday, March 2.
"Save-A-Life Saturday" is a community-wide educational opportunity to learn the life-saving skills of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The free program is taught by certified Red Cross instructors and is offered free to the public through the generosity of sponsors Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Sacred Heart Hospital.
"If you ever thought of taking a course in CPR for general knowledge but could not afford it or if you are uncomfortable in a formal classroom setting, this would be a great opportunity to learn these valuable skills," said Steve Vetrano, senior director of Programs and General Services for the local American Red Cross. "And, thanks to sponsors like Air Products and Sacred Heart, we are able to provide this one-day training free to the public."
"We sponsor the Save-A-Life Saturday program because CPR is such a critically important procedure that most of us should know but simply don't take the
time to learn," said Marta Gabriel, manager of Community Relations and Philanthropy at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. in Trexlertown.
"It's a skill that you hope you'll never need to use, but one that you'll be eternally grateful to possess once you've applied it to saving someone's life. We're pleased to partner with the American Red Cross to make this training possible so more people in our community can have the ability to make a difference in a lifesaving situation."
Laverne Chapmen is just one person who made a difference in someone's life by using the skills she learned at last year's Save-A-Life Saturday. Although Chapmen is a licensed practical nurse, the training she received through Red Cross "brought back a lot of stuff" that she normally doesn't use in her day-to-day job.
At a holiday party for Cedarbrook employees last December, Chapmen and fellow co-workers were enjoying a dinner of prime rib when an employee began choking on a piece of meat.
"He was trying to drink water to wash down the food, but the passageway was blocked," recalls Chapmen. "He then clutched his throat with both hands." Chapmen immediately jumped up and asked if he was choking. He frantically nodded yes.
"I applied the Heimlich maneuver and was able to dislodge the meat from his airway," she said. "To this day, he's very appreciative."
More than 25 highly trained American Red Cross volunteer instructors will teach individuals how to recognize and properly care for life-threatening respiratory and cardiac emergencies for adults.
The class will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sacred Heart Hospital's Second Floor Conference Center at 421 Chew Street in Allentown. Participants will gather for a video instruction segment and will then move to smaller rooms for individualized practice sessions with manikins. The class is open to adults and children ages 12 and older.
Refreshments will be provided. Free parking is available at the hospital's Fifth Street parking garage.
Class size is limited. Registration is required by calling the American Red Cross at (610) 865-4400, ext. 247.
More than 300 people have recognized the vital importance of learning CPR and have participated in the Save-A-Life Saturday program since it began in 1999.
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training and emergency relief services to more than 15,500 Lehigh Valley residents.
For more information about your local Red Cross, visit www.redcrosslv.org.
NOTE TO MEDIA:
The media is invited to attend Save-A-Life Saturday. The program will be held at Sacred Heart Hospital's Second Floor Conference Center, 421 Chew Street, Allentown, from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m. Free parking is available at the hospital's Fifth Street parking garage. Please call Janice Osborne, manager of Media & Community Affairs at the Red Cross, if anyone from your organization plans to attend.
