By By GREG KATSKI
Community Editor
They aren’t your average heroes, but the Greater Pamlico Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for more like them.
Siblings Simon Harris, 11, and Abby Harris, 9, donated $40 of their Christmas money to the Red Cross to go toward the relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
With the chapter’s annual Heroes Campaign starting in earnest, Executive Director Lorrie Beach expects similar acts of selflessness from homegrown heroes.
The chapter is challenging local businesses, individuals, civic clubs, church groups and the like to pledge to be a hero and raise $1,000 each for the chapter. The money raised will go directly into the local chapter’s disaster-relief fund.
“We are all one disaster away from being homeless. In order to be prepared, we need to have funds,” Beach said.
Beach said the chapter must be able to self-sustain relief efforts for up to five days, considering that a major disaster, like a hurricane, might cause logistical problems for the American Red Cross.
“The county needs to take care of whatever happens for five days,” Beach said, adding that the chapter covers 69,000 people across a sprawling 2,100 square miles.
Several area business and individuals have pledged to be heroes.
To raise funds for the chapter, Pirate’s Grill and Pub will donate a nickel for every beer sold, Big Bargain Furniture will hold a rock-a-thon March 27 and Pecheles Toyota will have a antique-car show April 3.
Other pledges have been made by Lithographics, East Carolina Bank, Frank’s Pizza, Holiday Inn Express, Ken’s Flowers, Water Street Cafe and Ed and Kay Summerfield
Red Cross Month officially kicks off March 1, but the chapter is getting a jump on its annual campaign, which concludes in mid-April with a reception for the heroes that raise $1,000 or more.
“It doesn’t take a lot to be a hero. It takes a lot of us doing a little bit,” Beach said.
The Harris siblings did just that.
Simon and Abby’s father, Scott, said it was his children’s decision to donate their well-earned Christmas money to the chapter.
“I’m actually very proud of them. It was a grown-up decision to make,” the elder Harris said.
His daughter said it wasn’t easy giving up the money.
“It was a little harder decision because we were giving up our Christmas money, but we knew it was the right thing to do,” she said.
The elder Harris said he took his children to the chapter’s headquarters on Market Street after school several times to donate the money, only to find the office closed. By chance, the Harrises caught Beach closing up the office one January afternoon.
“She was a little overwhelmed that they were giving up their own Christmas money,” the elder Harris said. “It was a whopping $40, but the money could’ve been spent on other things.”