Fayette County

can be proud.

The recent

donation of more than $41,000 to the American Red Cross, coming from the

recent boot drive by Fayetteville and Fayette County firefighters, is

the largest donation received from the south metro area.

The funds will

be used to benefit victims of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington,

D.C., and those who are working on recovery efforts there. Since the attacks,

Americans have responded by donating over $452 million to the Red Cross.

More than 500,000 blood donations have been held since the Sept. 11 attacks.

The initial

relief effort includes a $100 million gift program to provide financial

assistance to families of people lost in the World Trade Center and the

Pentagon, including first responders and emergency personnel. This program

will help families meet mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, funeral

expenses and other monetary needs. So far, more than $14 million has been

placed in the hands of more than 900 family members, according to the

Red Cross.

Locally, the

Red Cross has helped coordinate flights donated by Delta Air Lines for

Red Cross volunteers and families grieving loved ones lost in the attacks.

Also, meals and shelter were provided to 275 people stranded at Hartsfield

when the attacks took place.

The local Red

Cross has also:

Developed

and scheduled a disaster training course to teach disaster preparedness

skills, including new information on terrorism;

Sent supplies

to the relief effort in New York from the local warehouse, including food

preparation supplies, fans and clean-up kits;

Coordinated

more than 700 local volunteers and staff; and

Processed

more than 94,000 phone calls from the public concerning blood donations,

contributions and volunteer opportunities.