Posted on 04/22/2009 9:23:20 AM PDT by angcat
The prospect of a gun rights group demonstrating their right to openly carry firearms in Hazle Township Community Park on the same day as the annual “Celebration of Life Walk” sponsored by the Hazleton Chapter of the American Red Cross is threatening cancellation of the 10th annual Red Cross fundraiser.
Joyce Bradbury, executive director of the Hazleton Chapter of the American Red Cross said a significant number of walk participants called the Red Cross headquarters to cancel their participation in the event in light of the gun group’s plans.
Most of the cancellations came from school student groups, Bradbury said.
“We have many groups that have dropped out. I don’t know what is going to happen to the walk,” Bradbury said.
Members and supporters of the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association (PAFOA) have reserved a pavilion at the township park for May 16, which is the same date as the Red Cross event.
According to Greg Rotz, organizer of the gun group event, selection of the same date as the Red Cross event was deliberate.
“This is one of the reasons I decided to go ahead and (rent a park pavilion) as it will give us some great exposure to the many people who will no doubt be there for the other activities going on,” Rotz said in announcing the plans on the PAFOA membership Web site.
Attempts to reach Rotz for further comment were unsuccessful.
Red Cross holds the annual event at the park on Armed Forces Day for a very specific reason.
“The event pays homage to American service personnel, veterans and blood donors,” Bradbury said.
Armed Forces Day falls on May 16 this year.
Bradbury said the annual walk has many goals, the three most important of which are honoring veterans and service personnel, honoring blood donors, and raising funds for local Red Cross services.
“We had 34 local people left homeless the week of Easter from several house fires. With this event, we try to raise a simple amount like $10,000 to help local veterans and local victims of disasters. I don’t know what we are going to do now,” Bradbury said.
Changing the date of the Red Cross event from its traditional Armed Forces Day is a possibility.
“We don’t want to move it from Armed Forces Day but we are trying to see what we can salvage,” she said.
William Gallagher, chairman of the township board of supervisors, said a change of location may be the solution.
The supervisors are working with the Red Cross to find a possible different location for the walk.
Gallagher said he telephoned Rotz and left voice messages in an attempt at dialogue that might help resolve the Red Cross plight, but the calls went unreturned.
The Red Cross board of directors is considering a change of venue that would move the walk to the Babe Ruth baseball field in Hazle Township, which is adjacent to the park on the opposite side of Lake Irena.
“The offer is there. We will do whatever we can to help them,” Gallagher said.
Bradbury said she is not opposed to the rights of gun owners, but she is also cognizant of the public apprehension.
“I have nothing against these groups, please understand,” Bradbury said. “But the people who are responsible for others, they have to take the well-being of others into consideration.”
The Red Cross Board of Directors meets today to discuss changing the date or the location of the annual walk.
mlight@standardspeaker.com
Fools afraid to walk in park because people that are armed will be exercising their rights? Is it me???????????????????????????????????????????????????? Has the world gone mad????????????????????????
Nah, just stoopid...
I won’t give a dime to the socialist Red Cross.
The key passage is:
“Most of the cancellations came from school student groups, Bradbury said.”
We are losing the battle for the future of America in the classrooms and universities where self-centered left-wing radicals in the teachers’ unions and college “professors” are using “academic freedom” to spoon feed students anti-western, anti-American socialist propaganda.
That is another reason the sophmoric idiot in the Oval Office was elected.
Another sign of the American wussies.
My Mom was an RN and nursing administrator for 30 years. She was very vocal about her feelings regarding the Red Cross. A corrupt and bloated bunch of bureaucrats, she said. The Salvation Army was her recommended charity.
So...They are going to cancel on ARMED FORCES DAY....Because of ARMED FORCES???
My dad (WW II) Vet had NOTHING good to say about the “Red Cross”. The only thing that they did was hand him a stale donut and cold coffee when he went on the troop ship.
Probably charged him for it too.
Nope he spilled most of the coffee and dropped the donut while struggling to get him and his gear aboard the ship.
18 gallons. All at once? (just kidding)
So what could be better for their well being than having a bunch of lawfully armed and law abiding folks nearby?
Never know when some rabid anti-war nut job is going to attack your Armed Forces Day rally. Heck many, probably most, of the "gun" demonstrators would be veterans of those same Armed Forces.
Seems like someone has taken too big a drink of the anti gunower Kool Aid.
That's what my father-in-law used to say about the Red Cross.
I don't donate either blood or money to them. Money goes to the Salvation Army. Blood, if they'd let me donate, would go to the Army, since I work on an Army post, or a local blood bank directly, if and when I work elsewhere.
We had our local blood drive last week. But they won't let me donate, one of my meds is on the "not allowed" list. Doesn't seem to hurt me, but them's the rules. Many to most of the soldiers and former soldiers can't donate either, due to having lived in Europe during a particular, long, time frame. One retired major does however, and must have 30 "grenade" squeezies on his self, one for each pint he's donated, and he doesn't always get one. He gives pretty much as often as they will let him. Wish I could, I've got plenty of the stuff.
Yesp. Same thing I always heard from vets from WWII.
18 gallons. All at once? (just kidding)
Yup, so much blood drained out of my head I felt like a liberal!
LOL!!
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