American Red Cross - North Dakota/NW MN

06/12/2026

Today is National Women Veterans Recognition Day

To recognize the day, we're taking a moment to celebrate Deb Perkins, a U.S. Army veteran and American Red Cross volunteer. Also, be sure to reach out to the women who served in your own life to thank and celebrate them!

06/11/2026

Many of us in North Dakota are holding Joe Hill’s family, friends, students and fellow lifeguards close in our hearts.

We honor the life and legacy of Joe Hill, a devoted lifeguard and passionate water safety instructor who truly lived the Red Cross mission. His commitment to protecting others and teaching lifesaving skills made a lasting impact on so many in our community. Joe’s compassion, dedication, and service will continue to inspire all of us who carry forward this important work.

We are grateful for Joe’s compassion, dedication and service. His impact will continue through the many lives he touched and the lifesaving lessons he helped pass on.

For almost 15 years, Joe Hill was a familiar face and an integral part of our YMCA and community. As an American Red Cross Certified and YMCA USA Certified instructor, he trained hundreds of lifeguards in rescue and recovery, taught hundreds of staff CPR and First Aid, and guided countless community members and young people through lifesaving certifications.

Perhaps his greatest impact was teaching generations of children how to swim. With exceptional knowledge, patience, and skill, Joe helped thousands of children feel safe and confident in the water, building trust, endurance, and lifelong water safety skills.

Joe was a cornerstone of our Safety Around Water program, helping ensure that area second graders received a foundational understanding of water safety. He was also instrumental in creating our Adaptive Swim program, providing youth with developmental differences the opportunity to learn critical swim skills in a supportive environment. During COVID closures, he developed a dry-land swim lesson curriculum so children could continue learning important water safety concepts even when they could not be in the pool.

Through his dedication and commitment, Joe helped save countless lives.

Joe believed deeply in the YMCA and its mission. He was not only a valued employee, but also a Y member and donor. He helped establish and support fundraisers that allowed our programs to grow and thrive. He even brought joy to countless families by serving as Santa Claus each year at our Sweets with Santa event.

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Joe Hill's passing. Alongside his friends and family, we mourn this tremendous loss, while remaining deeply grateful for the care, dedication, and compassion Joe shared with our Y and community for so many years.

We are proud of the lasting legacy he leaves behind in the lives of those he taught, mentored, and inspired.

Thank you, Joe, for embodying the spirit of the YMCA and all it stands for. We are so very grateful. You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten.

06/10/2026

It's Water Safety Wednesday! 🌊 🏊 This summer, make it a family priority to build confidence in the water by learning how to:

✅be safe
✅make good choices
✅swim &
✅handle emergencies, like helping someone in distress in the water

Visit redcross.org/watersafety to learn more.

06/08/2026

If thunder roars, go indoors. ⛈️

Seek shelter inside a sturdy building and stay away from glass windows and doors. Get more thunderstorm safety info here: redcross.org/thunderstorm

Confidence is increasing in another round of severe thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and evening, with very large hail up to tennis ball size, damaging winds up to 80 mph, and a few tornadoes. Stay weather aware on Tuesday and be sure to have multiple ways to receive warnings.

06/07/2026

Someone can go into cardiac arrest at home, at work, at practice, at the lake or in the grocery store.

Most of us hope we’ll never be the person standing nearby when it happens. But if we are, knowing what to do can matter.

As we wrap up CPR + AED Awareness Week, take a few minutes to look at Red Cross training options and consider getting trained.

Find a class near you at redcross.org/take-a-class.

06/03/2026

It's Water Safety Wednesday! 🌊 🏊 Everyone near water should stay actively engaged to ensure everyone is being water smart. Whether it’s a child, friend or stranger, you may be the only person positioned to help.

Visit redcross.org/watersafety to learn more.

06/02/2026

Summer fills up fast — trips, graduations, lake weekends, work, kids, all of it.
But patients still need blood every day.

If you’re healthy and eligible, please make an appointment to give in the days ahead. Schedule through the Blood Donor App, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or by clicking here: https://bit.ly/4o4Fkq7.

06/01/2026

It is CPR & AED Awareness Week, a critical reminder that learning these skills empowers anyone to be the difference between life and death. Most cardiac arrests occur in settings where immediate medical help is unavailable.
Every second counts when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest. Visit redcross.org/take-a-class to learn what to do.

05/30/2026

Heading to the lake, pool or river this weekend?🛟

Pick a water watcher, wear a life jacket when boating and keep a close eye on kids and weaker swimmers. Let's keep this summer memorable for all the right reasons.

Equip yourself and your family with the skills and knowledge to be water smart, water competent, and ready to help others safely. Visit redcross.org/watersafety

05/29/2026

“It’s a lonely feeling, when you’re standing in your driveway, watching your home and everything in it burn up. And any time I get to spend with the people experiencing it, to help them feel just a little less alone, and well it’s why I do what I do. And I’ll do it for the rest of my life.”

Across our region, we gathered to honor the Red Cross volunteers who show up in life’s hardest moments.

Jeff Wolsky, our Exceptional Leadership Award recipient for the Eastern North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota Chapter, is one of them, serving on the Disaster Action Team and turning compassion into action when it matters most.

We’re grateful for Jeff and every volunteer who helps ensure no one faces a disaster alone. ❤️