Holiday Time Already??

This weekend at the Gateway, store fronts had been decorated with Christmas trees, and red and green were prominent colors in every window. Holiday music was playing over the loud speakers, and holiday sales were posted on big signs to draw consumers in. It's hard not to get sucked in to the gift buying/gift giving that is the Holiday season. Pretty sweaters draw you to their cashmere softness. Fifty percent off is just too hard to say no to. And the smell of fresh pine, mixed with "Jingle Bell Rock" makes using that plastic card on shirts, shoes, and holiday trinkets easy as pumpkin pie.

However, as I walked the streets looking in every window, seeing men, women and children walk out with their arms full of bags, I decided to make myself a little promise. (I'm always making promises on this blog, promises to update my 72-hour kit, to make sure I change the batteries in my smoke alarm, etc. And so far I have held my word!) I have been working with the Development team a lot lately with our upcoming Heroes event (more info to come!) last month's Gala in Ogden, and more recently the Holiday Giving Campaign.

With the Red Cross Holiday Giving Campaign, your gifts this Holiday can take the form of many things to support the mission of the Red Cross. For example for $50 you can purchase a full day of emergency shelter for a victim of a disaster in the name of a family member, friend, or loved one. Or for $18 you can purchase 3 blankets to keep disaster victims warm in the middle of the night. Or for $30 you can provide water containers for 6 families in International Disasters.

So next time you brave the winter weather to take a Holiday shopping excursion, keep in mind that while sweaters go out of style and wreathes wither, blankets and water for disaster victims, can go a long way.