A Message from Linda Mathes
Dear Friend of the American Red Cross:
As our inspiring In the Bag Chair and Founder Brenda Blisk has said,
“There is nothing we can’t accomplish when a group of great women get together!”
That certainly has been true for the past seven years as Brenda and an amazing group of women have planned and carried out the uniquely successful IN THE BAG: Purses for Preparedness Luncheon. This spectacular event has netted over $565K to support American Red Cross services. These funds help us so we can serve the people in our community 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
We hope you will join us again this year. This is a great way to meet other highly motivated, interesting, successful women and have fun bidding on unique, high-end purses. At what other networking and fundraising event in the DC area can you enjoy a delicious lunch, have good conversation, nab a great bag, win a beautiful door prize or gift package, and save and strengthen lives all at the same time?
Your support of the 8th Annual IN THE BAG event makes it possible for the American Red Cross to serve those in our community who need it most. Our staff and hundreds of local volunteers do everything from respond to local home fires, to deploy across the country to support major disaster relief efforts. Red Crossers greet service members returning home at Joint Base Andrews and work alongside wounded service members as they recover at area military and VA medical facilities. The Red Cross collects donated blood that covers nearly half of the nation’s blood supply, teaches lifesaving skills and even responds to major international disasters that strike halfway around the world. We go door-to-door installing smoke alarms and providing disaster preparedness information in high-risk neighborhoods.
That’s why we are so grateful for your support of this event. The critical funds raised support the work we do in this region. We are proud that 91 cents of every dollar raised directly supports the life-changing services of the Red Cross.
I hope to see you at In the Bag Luncheon VIII– you don’t want to miss it, I promise!
On behalf of the many men, women and children who will benefit, thank you in advance for your support and participation.
Warm regards,
Linda C. Mathes
Chief Executive Officer
American Red Cross In the National Capital Region