Extreme Heat Drains Red Cross Water Wells

The Red Cross is known world-wide for helping families with food, clothing and shelter after disasters. But the agency also provides an unknown and lifesaving service in communities across the Metroplex every day; and that's making sure that area firefighters working on disaster scenes have plenty of bottled water and Gatorade to keep them hydrated.



With this year's extreme temperatures, the Red Cross has plowed through an entire summer's worth of bottled water and Gatorade in just a few short weeks. Seeing an increase of 132% in the amount of hydration supplies distributed over this time last year, and a 46% increase in disaster responses, the organization is now facing a critical shortage and reaching out to North Texans for financial help to restock the shelves.



"Our warehouse is bare. We're down to about one pallet of bottled water and not much more Gatorade," said Leslie Palmer, interim regional chief executive officer, American Red Cross. "That's not going to last long so we're in great need of financial donations to make sure the many firefighters working out in this heat stay hydrated."



Palmer says that the way to help is with a financial gift. "That financial gift will allow us to purchase specific sizes of product to fit on our relief trucks and be easily palletized. We can also purchase in bulk which will help your gift go even further. No gift is too small or too large."



North Texans who would like to help the Red Cross restock the water and Gatorade shelves can make a donation at www.redcrossdallas.org or call 214-678-4800 to make a gift over the phone.