80th American Red Cross Month kicks off onboard Battleship New Jersey

CAMDEN, N.J. - Celebrations in honor of the American Red Cross and its volunteers, donors and partners are happening all throughout the month of March.

This is now the 80th annual celebration for the humanitarian nonprofit that was founded back in 1881 by Clara Barton.

On Sunday, the New Jersey Region held a kickoff event aboard the Battleship New Jersey in Camden.

Distinguished speakers included Captain Warren Judge of the Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen and Camden County Commissioner Melinda Kane.

"We are first on the ground when there’s a major disaster. Our volunteers mobilize, whether it’s a house fire here in New Jersey or a flood or hurricane anywhere in the country. We scale up, we go, we help people in need," said Regional CEO Rosie Taravella of the American Red Cross of NJ. "To me, it’s a celebration of our volunteers, a celebration of all of the donors and partners that work with us. They are all people that make a difference in the lives of so many."

Taravella said the Red Cross has a service to the Armed Forces program, which supports and coordinates military families to return home during major life events. Also, 40 percent of the blood supply in the U.S. comes through the Red Cross and its donors.

Jim Moran is a Red Cross volunteer in New Jersey. He mainly volunteers in the Disaster Response Team locally and throughout the country. He said his caring nature comes from his family.

"My father was a great guy. He was a police officer. I’m from Jersey City originally," said Moran. "This is when people are at their lowest point right? Lost their home or their personal belongings. I like to say I do it for the hugs. So I try to hug as many people as I can when I’m out there."

Moran will be honored with the Michelle Esposito Heart of Service Award for his dedication and service.

Heather Lockard works for the Red Cross, but started out as a volunteer. She was even deployed to Florida after a major hurricane.

"It’s really humbling to work beside [the volunteers]. It’s just awesome. They're awesome. Their hearts are the biggest I’ve ever seen," said Lockhart. "The Red Cross symbol to me means hope. Whatever I could do to help them, as someone wearing this emblem, I was going to try to do."

The Red Cross flag will fly high above the Battleship New Jersey for the month of March and will light up in red at night to honor the organization.

If you’d like to celebrate the Red Cross, you can make a financial donation, give blood, volunteer or learning life-saving skills such as CPR.