The American Red Cross in the National Capital Region savored the celebration at the Taste of DC on October 8th, 9th and 10th. The region’s largest food, wine, beer and cultural festival featured the Red Cross as one of four local charities to receive proceeds and donations from the event. Expecting around 450,000 patrons at the festival, the Red Cross helped to support Taste of DC through a cadre of over 100 volunteers. Red Cross volunteers supported the Chapter’s information table, which featured information about Club Red which is a group of Young Professionals for the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region, helped some of the upwards of 140 vendors distribute their tastings, and served as members of Go-Teams. Go-Teams were groups of CPR and First Aid certified volunteers who assisted local Emergency Medical Services in identifying any critical needs among the crowds. They were stationed at one of the Chapter’s emergency response vehicles (ERV) alongside DC Fire and Rescue and Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA).

Several other Red Cross supporters were sighted at the festival as well. Miss Oregon 2011, Caroline McGowan, donned her crown and greeted the crowds. With her 2011 platform being the Red Cross, she helped to collect donations for the Chapter. 

There were also many sightings of Squiggy the Red Cross Squirrel, who made an appearance on stage Monday night with the featured music group, Rusted Root. When she wasn’t dancing alongside the band, Squiggy helped to collect donations and pose for photos with fans along Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Taste of DC festival also helped the Chapter forge important community partnerships in a variety of other ways. The Red Crossers at the event not only sampled delicious delicacies from the restaurant vendors, but also made new friends that the Red Cross hopes to continue to partner with for future events.

 
 
Didn’t get the updates from the weekend? Looking for the highly anticipated video release of Squiggy’s appearance with Rusted Root? Follow us on Twitter at RedCrossNCR!  You can view the entire photo album from Taste of DC on our Club Red Facebook page.