Albany, NY (Jan. 27, 2010) - At a press conference this morning, the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York (ARCNENY) officially ushered in our Centennial Celebration year with longtime volunteers and community partners at our side.

Gary H. Striar, CEO of ARCNENY, Michael J. Castellana, president and CEO of SEFCU, and Matt Duddy, ARCNENY board president and vice president of Lamar Advertising all spoke at the press conference.

"SEFCU is proud to partner with the American Red Cross as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of serving our friends and neighbors in times of crisis, both locally and across the globe. Through their efforts, thousands of lives have been affected in a positive way, and SEFCU remains committed to supporting their work," said Michael J. Castellana, SEFCU president and CEO.

From ARCNENY´s humble beginnings in the basement of the Albany County courthouse to our present status as the regional lead for chapters from the Mid-Hudson Valley to the Canadian border, we have always upheld the American Red Cross mission of being there for our neighbors in need.

"We help so many people each year," said Gary H. Striar, CEO of ARCNENY. "The numbers are important, but we have to remember that behind each number is a person that we have helped in a critical way."

ARCNENY extends sincere thanks to the community leaders who are joining us in celebrating our 100th anniversary year:

• Our Champion: SEFCU
• Our Leader: the Times Union
• Our Partners: CDPHP, CSEA, Lamar Advertising and Price Chopper
• Our Patrons: Albany International, Best Cleaners, Hannay Reels, Hedley & Company, NYSUT and MVP Health Care
• Our Supporters: Citizen´s Bank, Key Bank and M&T Bank
• Our Friends: Bank of America, BBL Hospitality, Keeler Motor Car Company, Legacy Bank, National Grid, Tech Valley Communications and Trustco Bank
• Special support from Pioneer Savings Bank
• Our Centennial Celebration Honorary Chair J. Spencer Standish, Steering Committee Chairs Kevin & Kim Hedley, and Centennial Committee volunteer members Ellin Alexander, Stephen Madarasz, Augusta Martin, Catherine McCann and Allen Vollmer

"I am honored to serve the American Red Cross as board president, especially at this moment in our chapter´s history," said Matt Duddy, ARCNENY board president and vice president of Lamar Advertising. "I feel uniquely privileged to be part of the committee guiding the local Red Cross as we enter our next 100 years, and I look forward to bringing as many people into our Red Cross family as possible."

The seeds of ARCNENY were sown in 1910, when the chapter received our official charter from the national American Red Cross. In 1996, the Albany Area, Heritage Valley, and Rensselaer County Chapters merged to become ARCNENY. We have since added Montgomery County to our service area, which now covers 4,200 square miles and more than 868,000 residents. In 2007, ARCNENY was designated as a regional Chapter by the national Red Cross, giving us management oversight for Chapters from Poughkeepsie to the Canadian border. In 2008, ARCNENY was named as one of 90 Highly-Performing Chapters in the nation (out of 700) by the national Red Cross.

ARCNENY provides local & national disaster relief, life-saving trainings, volunteer opportunities, blood collection support, military communication & support programs, emergency preparedness education, senior support and international tracing services. For more information, view our online annual report by clicking here.

To celebrate our 100th anniversary of serving the greater Capital Region, ARCNENY will implement a number of new initiatives:

• Moveable mini-museum: Red Cross volunteers are organizing local archives and current photographs into a moveable local Red Cross museum. This exhibit will debut at our Centennial Celebration Gala in March, and is tentatively scheduled to travel throughout our eight-county service area for the remainder of our Centennial Celebration year.
• Website re-launch. In April 2010, the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York will debut a revamped www.redcrossneny.org with features including online volunteer sign-up, location-based searches for volunteering opportunities and training courses, RSS feeds of national American Red Cross news, and a streamlined donation process.
• Free online emergency preparedness training--available now. When you visit www.redcrossneny.org and click on the "Be Red Cross Ready" banner at the top of the page, you´ll enter our online classroom where you can take a quick, fun and intensive course that will teach you simple steps to prepare for emergencies.
• CPR Made Simple: low-cost, one-hour CPR training. Training for those who want to learn how to save a life with CPR, but don´t have the time to take a full course or need certification. (Note: students in this course will not receive Red Cross certification. For Red Cross certification, a full CPR/first aid course must be taken.)
• Increased regional collaboration. In 2008, we officially took on the responsibility for Red Cross chapters from Dutchess and Ulster counties to the Canadian border. As we continue to develop our regional grouping, we are working closely with the other chapters to raise money, share successful volunteer and training strategies and create programs that benefit all of our communities.
• Exploring Humanitarian Law instruction. There are 186 members of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Society around the world (including the American Red Cross). The American Red Cross supports the work of our international partners during international conflicts and disasters in many ways. For the first time, our chapter will bring this global work to the greater Capital Region with free instruction in international humanitarian law for teachers and students.

About the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York
Since 1910, ARCNENY has given relief to victims of disasters and helped people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Last year, nearly 1,000 residents of the greater Capital Region received free, emergency assistance by ARCNENY after disasters such as fires, floods, and power outages. Each year, more than 40,000 greater Capital Region residents learn to save lives through Red Cross CPR, water safety, first aid and emergency preparedness classes; and hundreds of local military families receive support and emergency communications services.

The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money and blood from the American people to do its work. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. For more information about your local Red Cross and our 100 years of service, visit www.redcrossneny.org or call (518) 458-8111.