Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-11
What Inspired District to Triple
Its Red Cross Flood Relief Quote?
BY JOHN NJ. RoSsoN

BY JOHN NJ. ROSSON
To everyone's surprise-the Red
Cross included-the District chap
ter Of the national organization
collected in Just 10 days $225, 0Se In
Hood relief funds for victims Of
Hurricane Diane.
And the money is still coming In
despite the fact that the $40
million Nationwide goal is over
subscribed by more than 81 million.
Two questions are raised by the
unprecedented fiow Of money:
. How u it that Metropolitan
Warrington, which heretofore has
needed extended headlines and
much prodding to meet charity
goals, this time cheerfully tripled
Q $4,000 request IN two and one
half weeks?
o Can soliciting organizations
such rs the Red Cross and Com
munity Chest find In last weeks
drive the solution to their perennial
problem Of reaching quotas on time?
Whot Happened
A bit OF local history points up
the spectacular success Of last
weeks campaign.
Annual and emergency Red
Cross drives Of the past Is years
characterized by vigorous prodding
have netted this area an un-
envied. 10 per cent over-the-quota
figure. This places the District
far down the list Of the 40 States.
In last weeks campaign, how
ever, New York and Pennsylvania,
among the States most affected by
Hurricane Diane, failed to top the
Districts amazing mark Of 800 per
cent OF its quota.
Both topped their quotas, re-
spectively, by 1918 and 128 per
cent. Unlike the District. however.
reaching quotas on time Is not I'M
usual for them.
Connecticut, hardest hit Of the
New England States, piled up .
fantastic over-the-quota figure Of
1882 per cent. The Red Cross ex-
planned that many Of the Nations
contributors donated directly to
Connecticut chapters instead Of to
their home bases.
A look at the list Of contributors
whose donations placed the District
chapter-covering Prince Georges,
Montgomery. Fairfax and Airing
ton Counties and the cities Of Alex
andria and Washington - near
the top of the Nations donor roster
helps to explain further why the
drive here was such . success.
Close to Home
Letters to the chapter from
thousands Of small contributors
ahow that charity begins close to
home. Many Neutrality-suspicious. have
personal contact with residents Of
the food area. And the same storm
conceivably could have caused
great damage here.
I'VE figure 1t this way: The
people OF the area at last are
hurricane conscious-they know
what destruction these storms can
cause, and they see that next time
it could be them" Randolph Bishop,
District chapter fund director, said.
That was not the case in other
emergency drives. The Kansas City
floods Of q few years ago. for In
stance, were too far away. The Dis
trict met It's quota but not without
Red Cross prodding.
Another factor contributing to
the current triumph, the Red Cross
feels, was the extensive press COW
arage given the disaster. Local
newspapers banner-lined the food
for almost q week. Television cam
eras brought scenes Of havoc into
thousands Of area living rooms.
Standards Of donation were as
wide apart as the poles. Youngsters
throughout the city gave their
weekly allowances. A woman resi-
dent Of q District hotel mailed the
chapter q check for $500.
The letters show that consid-
cradle portion Of the funds came
from Government workers-many
Of them with relatives In New York.
Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The
Treasury Department donated So
TOO. Other Government Offices, some
of them units Of the Department
of Defense. are still to be heard
from.
vacotioners Denote
Letters containing donations
from District vacationers who came
home with eyewitness accounts Of
the destruction and loss Of life were
still unopened when the chapter
announced that the $4,000 goal
had been reached-just II days
after the call for aid was first sent
out.
A look at the donor list shows
that many individuals and o large
number Of local unions were moved
by the fact that many Of Danes
victims were working people-min-
ers, farmers and small-town bust
nessmen. Trade and labor unions
ranked among the top contributors.
The International Union Of OPP
Grating Engineers, with Offices here,
ssnt the local chapter $1,000. Other
union groups have pledged similar
amounts.
Contributions came, too, from
veterans Of food disasters. The
Netherlands Embassy, citing Ameri-
can aid given the Dutch In the Hol-
land foods Of 1858. donated $500.
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