The San Pedro Belize Red Cross (SPBRC) is pleased to report much success in their first two events for 2015. These events included a First Aid/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training held on Thursday, January 29th and a blood drive held on Saturday, February 7th. Recently appointed co-leaders of the SPBRC Health Committee, Sue Barkhouse and Joann Reilly were in charge of organizing the events.
Headed by Reilly, the first aid/CPR training was held at El Divino Restaurant, Banana Beach Resort. Instructors David Sobers and Tina Gill from the Belize Red Cross trained eleven individuals, including staff members from The Phoenix Resort, Victoria House Resort, and American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES). Two SPBRC volunteers and two private citizens were also trained. SPBRC extends a big thanks to Banana Beach Resort for the use of their facility, and Corona del Mar Hotel for assisting with accommodations for the trainers. If you would like to join the SPBRC first aid program and receive training for yourself or your staff, please contact [email protected]. Classes are $50 BZD per person plus the cost of lunch.
SPBRC’s first blood drive of the year was headed by Barkhouse and took place at Clinica Los Pinos on Manta Ray Street, San Pedro Town. Both adult and youth volunteers (led by Wendy Alter, head of the youth committee) helped make the event run smoothly as they took their places as greeters at the door, handing out juice and cookies, and collecting donations on the street. A healthy turn out of donors arrived from 9AM to 3PM donating both blood and money, keeping the clinic busy all day. SPBRC was able to collect 30 pints of blood for the Ambergris Caye Blood Bank Reserve to be held at the Belize Blood Bank in Belize City. That blood is stored for Ambergris locals or tourists for use on a planned surgery or medical emergency. The monetary donations given on the street totalling $746.50 will benefit the SPRC activities.
SPBRC thanks all donors for making this blood drive so successful. Big thanks goes to Ramon’s Village Resort, as 14 of their staff turned out to donate blood. Long-time donator and Ramon’s resort manager Einer Gomez was helpful in motivating his staff to come, printing flyers to personally hand out and getting the blood drive notice on their electronic billboards by Tropic Air and on the Clock Tower in town.
In other news, SPBRC will be working with the Belize Blood Services Group to return to the island for World Blood Donor Day on June 14, 2015. More information on the next blood drive will be made available as the event nears. Remember: IT’S IN YOU TO GIVE! If you would like to donate blood at the next drive, become a member or volunteer please contact [email protected]. Like them on Facebook: San Pedro Belize Red Cross, to show support and stay informed.
Thanks go to all the local business that support both events and greatly help them in building Ambergris Caye into a strong safe island. Los Pinos Clinic , Tropic Air, Ramon’s Village, Ultimate Carts, Caribbean Villas, Bowen and Bowen, Marks Store, Cost Less Store, El Fogon Restaurant, Marbucks cookies, Ambergris Today, Lighthouse Christian Radio, Krem and The San Pedro Sun.
 is pleased to report much success in their First Aid/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training and blood drive.){kind=link}