Ozarks Red Cross announces $4.2M campaign

The campaign so far has raised more than 43 percent – or about $1.8 million – of its goal from corporations, individuals and foundations, and officials hope to raise the remaining $2.4 million by the end of the summer, Financial Development Director Greg James said.

The bulk of funds will go toward building a domed Disaster Operations Center near the organization’s 4.8-acre campus at 1545 N. West Bypass. The center will be more than 2,800 square feet and made of concrete to withstand winds up to 300 miles per hour.

The new space will also include room for more volunteers to coordinate disaster response.

“When there’s an operation going on, we don’t have to worry about our people being in harm’s way,” James said. “The Red Cross (and) other emergency management offices have to function. There’s nobody to give help if those help agencies have lost their facility, too.”

James said the Red Cross hopes to break ground on the center in about a year.

The campaign also will pay for a generator to allow the Red Cross to continue operating if electricity is lost during a disaster, the addition of 80 to 100 extra parking spaces, division of classroom space in the existing building, and a second door in the warehouse to allow vehicles to drive through.

KY3 sportscaster Ned Reynolds is campaign spokesman.

The Red Cross announced the project to the public during its March 26 Everyday Heroes event.

The organization serves a 22-county area in southwest Missouri.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s March 26 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.