Red Cross plants legacy tree to celebrate 130 years
DANSVILLE, NY, Wednesday, October 12, 2011—The Clara Barton Chapter #1, located on Elizabeth Street in Dansville NY, planted a very special tree to commemorate 130 years of the American Red Cross on Monday, October 10.
Clara Barton was a tireless humanitarian servant who devoted endless efforts during the American Civil War to caring for troops, both wounded and healthy. Barton advocated for the provision of adequate food, bedding, and medical assistance for the soldiers. As the war continued, she began corresponding with the families of missing soldiers and helped to memorialize the dead, especially the unknown.
After the war, Clara Barton traveled to Europe and was impressed by the Red Cross movement initiated in Switzerland by Henry Dunant. Barton brought the Red Cross concept back to Dansville, where she was a frequent vacationer, and established the first ever American Red Cross chapter in 1881. The tree will be planted at the current Chapter House at 57 Elizabeth Street.
Not only was the occasion significant, but the tree itself has ties back to Clara Barton. Near the end of her life, Barton moved to Glen Echo, Maryland, where she also moved the American Red Cross headquarters. The property had a beautiful, pinkish-purple redbud on the premises. The tree that was planted in Dansville is a descendent of the original Clara Barton Redbud.
The tree was planted in honor of Red Cross volunteers and financial donors and commemorates the auspicious 130th anniversary.
The Red Cross also announced an exciting new initiative in the community during the ceremony. In partnership with developer Greg O’Connell and Downtown Coordinator Louise Wadsworth, who are responsible for much of the successful revitalization of Mt. Morris and has set their sights on Dansville, the Clara Barton Chapter #1 of the Red Cross is launching a new sculpture campaign similar to “Angels in the Village” that benefitted the Theresa House last year. We are working with metal trades students to develop Red Cross representative sculptures that will be displayed around the village. The sculptures will be auctioned off in late February to benefit the Red Cross of Dansville. For more information about this exciting project, please contact Melanie Barnas-Simmons at 585-241-4420.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; 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 humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.rochesterredcross.org or contact us at 585-241-4400.