WIFR's NC Sister Station Seeking Red Cross Donations for Hurricane Relief

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Posted: 6:17 PM Aug 30, 2011 WIFR's NC Sister Station Seeking Red Cross Donations for Hurricane Relief WITN is teaming with Inner Banks Media and the American Red Cross Disaster Services to host a fundraiser to help Hurricane Irene victims in eastern North Carolina.

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WITN is teaming with Inner Banks Media and the American Red Cross Disaster Services to host a fundraiser to help Hurricane Irene victims in eastern North Carolina.

WITN and WTIB 103.7, WNBU 94.1, Star 94.3 and Thunder Country 96.3 will kick off the fund-raising event at WITN’s Greenville studio on Arlington Boulevard beginning Wednesday morning. Phone lines will be manned from 8:00am until 6:30pm with contributions taken over-the-phone at 1-855-619-3785 (toll-free) and 252-222-4387 (local). Donations may also be submitted on-line with a link available on www.witn.com

In addition donations will be accepted at WITN’s main studio building on Highway 17 south of Washington, NC. New Bern area donations should be taken at the Inner Banks Media studios at 1308 South Glenburnie Road. A final collection point will be at WITN’s Jacksonville newsroom located across from Coastal Carolina Community College at 411 Western Boulevard.

“Irene has caused devastation across eastern North Carolina and families are in need,” Chris Mossman, Vice-President and General Manager of WITN said, “we hope that the combined reach of WITN and the Inner Banks Media group of stations will help bring the level of donations needed to allow the Red Cross to get out and provide the assistance needed in eastern North Carolina.”

The telethon will kick off with WITN 7 News at Sunrise in the morning and run throughout the day until 6:30pm. WTIB’s Talk of the Town with Henry Hinton will also be broadcasting live from 7:00am – 9:00am. Volunteers will be at each of the four sites accepting donations. The will accept cash, checks and credit card donations along with requested supplies.

A phone bank will be set up at the Arlington Boulevard studio and both television viewers and radio listeners will be able to call in to a telephone bank of volunteers to make donations. The phone lines will be manned by volunteers from the Children’s Miracle Network.

PODS has generously donated storage units at each collection site to accept donations of water and tarps as requested by the Red Cross. Texas Roadhouse on Greenville Blvd. is contributing to the effort by donating 10% of the restaurant’s proceeds on Wednesday.

You can donate here

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FAMILY DISASTER PLAN
Families should be prepared for all hazards that could affect their area. NOAA’s National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the American Red Cross urge every family to develop a family disaster plan. Where will your family be when disaster strikes? They could be anywhere at work, at school, or in the car. How will you find each other? Will you know if your children are safe? Disaster may force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services water, gas, electricity, or telephones were cut off?

Follow these basic steps to develop a family disaster plan...

Gather information about hazards.
Contact your local National Weather Service office, emergency management office, and American Red Cross chapter. Find out what type of disasters could occur and how you should respond. Learn your community’s warning signals and evacuation plans.

Meet with your family to create a plan.
Discuss the information you have gathered. Pick two places to meet: a spot outside your home for an emergency, such as fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you can’t return home. Choose an out-of-state friend as your family check-in contact for everyone to call if the family gets separated. Discuss what you would do if advised to evacuate.

Implement your plan.
(1) Post emergency telephone numbers by phones;(2) Install safety features in your house, such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers; (3) Inspect your home for potential hazards (such as items that can move, fall, break, or catch fire) and correct them; (4) Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR and first aid; how to use a fire extinguisher; and how and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home; (5) Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services number; (6) Keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least three days. Assemble a disaster supplies kit with items you may need in case of an evacuation. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as backpacks or duffle bags. Keep important family documents in a waterproof container. Keep a smaller disaster supplies kit in the trunk of your car.

A DISASTER SUPPLIES KIT SHOULD INCLUDE: A 3-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food that won’t spoil one change of clothing and footwear per person one blanket or sleeping bag per person a first aid kit, including prescription medicines emergency tools, including a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and a portable radio, flashlight, and plenty of extra batteries an extra set of car keys and a credit card or cash special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.

Practice and maintain your plan. Ask questions to make sure your family remembers meeting places, phone numbers, and safety rules. Conduct drills. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries two times each year. Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s instructions. Replace stored water and food every 6 months. Contact your local National Weather Service office, American Red Cross chapter, or local office of emergency management for a copy of “Your Family Disaster Plan” (L-191/ARC4466).