Itâs hard to imagine the American Red Cross celebrating 140 years. And, in some measure, the Red Cross has been there every time you turn around â even here in Lee County.
A little background: Clara Barton was 59 years old in 1881 when she organized what would become the American Red Cross. She worked in U.S. government when the Civil War broke out. She realized, after much bandage rolling and support, that soldiers needed help on battlefields. So she went. Thatâs how she became the âAngel of the Battlefield.â
But it was a trip to Europe after the Civil War where she learned of the Geneva, Switzerland-based Red Cross and its clarion for international agreements to protect the sick and wounded as a result of war. She became aware of the national societies that gave volunteer aid. She brought home the notion, and for 23 years served as the leader of the American Red Cross.