Local Outstanding Volunteers
The American Red Cross at Yokota was the first private organization to receive the Samurai Spirit Award for 2006 in recognition of ongoing volunteer efforts to commitment to the community, “Inspiring by Example.”
In 2006, Red Cross volunteers
- Provided support to an Armed Services Blood Drive, the Kanto Plains Special Olympics, Yokota Striders Frostbite Footrace and Jun Ekiden (with 7,000 runners, family members, and friends coming on-base), the base hospital, the schools, Environmental Health, veterinary and pet adoption services
- Supported an Armed Services Blood Drive when 150 units of whole blood were collected from the registration of 175 possible donors, assisting the military in providing care to over 185,000 Armed Forces personnel and beneficiaries throughout the U.S. Pacific Command
- Re-initiated annual Red Cross Disaster Training Institutes in the Asian Pacific region to train military and civilian personnel, including family members, to respond to community disasters
- Manned Disaster Preparation education displays at the Yokota Community Center to educate the public and how to prepare and respond to local disasters
- Provided disaster assistance to a family affected by a house fire
- Actively participated in non-combatant evacuation exercises requiring 24-hour manning
- Updated 32 instructors on new CPR methods so they can keep the community trained in life saving skills and prepared to respond to emergencies
- Trained 12 new CPR/First Aid instructors and provided CPR/First Aid training to over 250 community members
- Continued to maintain bilateral relations with the Japanese Red Cross
