Red Cross honors long-term volunteer Mary Hannick with Legacy Continues Service Pin ceremony

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Friday, May 13, 2011—The American Red Cross will be honoring Miss Mary Hannick for her service to the Armed Forces during World War II. She will be awarded the American National Red Cross Legacy Continues Service Pin on:

Saturday, May 14, 2011
5:00 PM
St. Anne’s Church Social Hall
1600 Mt. Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY

Special Guest Speakers:

Joseph D. Morelle, New York State Assemblyman will present Miss Hannick with a NYS Assembly Proclamation for her Red Cross service.

Jesús “Jay” Marrero, a Red Cross Reservist who has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan will speak about the work of the Red Cross which continues today with the military overseas. These Red Cross efforts are often out of the public eye in order to be most effective, but the work is as critical today as it was during World War II.

Background:

Mary Hannick retired as the Executive Director of the Genesee Settlement House many years ago, but continued to volunteer for the American Red Cross. 

In April, 2011, Miss Hannick turned 102 years old. She is being recognized by the American National Red Cross “Legacy Continues” Project for her contributions as a Red Cross hospital worker during World War II.

In 1945 Mary Hannick received orders from Richard Allen, Vice Chairman, National Red Cross in Washington D.C. to deploy to the European Theater. She traveled on the ship the George Washington arriving in LeHavre. She was stationed at various hospitals in Paris, Marseille, Mourmelon and Germany.

As a Red Cross hospital staff person, Mary did anything that was needed by the Armed Forces which meant arranging military leaves, visiting patients in wards, writing letters home for patients and counseling the men who had wives and children at home. She worked diligently helping where needed for 18 months.

Jesús “Jay” Marrero’s Red Cross volunteer career took off after a dynamic career at Xerox and at RIT. Jay came onboard as a Red Cross disaster volunteer responding to local emergencies and quickly became a leader and an accomplished trainer for the Red Cross. He served on many national disasters and was invited to join the Red Cross Reservist Team going on extended disaster assignments and eventually serving overseas with the military.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization—not a government agency—and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit rochesterredcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.