There has been a lot of talk around here about zombies. This got me to thinking about zombies and the Red Cross. Obviously, we’re complimentary groups of people: The Red Cross is well-known because we help people prepare for and respond to emergencies, and, well, a zombie apocalypse is something to be prepared for.
This led me to the interwebs to do some research on this possible Red Cross/zombie relationship, and I found a lot of evidence that led me to believe that there is such a strong connection between us because zombies might actually LOVE the Red Cross. I know zombies are the walking dead, void of all emotions and dead set (pun intended) on consuming brains, but I think there’s some sort of soft spot in their dead hearts for the Red Cross.
Here is my evidence:
Run for Your Lives
This zombie infested run that has the goal of “destryoing” its participants may not seem like the most Red Cross-loving event one could stumble upon; however, the Red Cross is the charitable partner for this race. So technically, the zombies are chasing down runners to support our mission – and I think that’s sweet. I asked the co-race director, Derrick Smith, why he thought this was a good partnership. His response was, “When people think of a true zombie apocalypse scenario there tends to be a lot of bloodshed and general chaos, which is why the Red Cross was a natural fit to partner with. The Red Cross is the top organization out there for taking care of people in emergency situations, so we were more than happy to donate a portion of every ticket sale to their cause.” Photo courtesy of Happy Go Lucky Photography
Night of the Living Donors – Zombie Blood Drive
In Portland, the Zombie Squad took it upon themselves to partner with the local Red Cross to host a blood drive to help them be prepared in case of a zombie invasion. The Zombie Squad has been a great Red Cross partner over the years by helping us spread important disaster preparedness messages (I particularly like their Bug Out Bag) – in fact, their mission is similar to ours: “Zombie Squad’s mission is to educate the public about the importance of personal preparedness and community service, to increase its readiness to respond to disasters such as earthquakes, floods or zombie outbreaks.” Neat-o!
I asked Nate Warren, who helped coordinate the blood drive, why he thought zombies loved the Red Cross so much. His response was, “I think zombies love the Red Cross because, for one, they have an insatiable hunger and we can provide tastier alternatives to the boring and redundant diet of brains. Whether we’re dishing out cookies at blood drives or cooking up meals at disaster sites, it’s nearly impossible to find the Red Cross representing without “noms” nearby. Also, while most scream at the sight of the undead, the Red Cross prides itself on impartiality, and serves as a neutral force in conflicts as guardians of the Geneva Conventions and other treaties surrounding international humanitarian law. Finally, let’s get real: zombies smell and probably don’t know it. It’s time to bring the Red Cross humanitarian mission to the formerly living and reach out with comfort, understanding and rubber gloves.”
Hmmm, good point, Nate.
World Zombie Day
Lastly, I sought out another Red Cross connection – this time in the super prepared state of Colorado. Last year, the chapter published this extensive article on zombie preparedness in honor of World Zombie Day – however, I found that Colorado was far more concerned with helping people prepare for the zombie invasion rather than trying to embrace our undead friends. Patricia Billinger noted, “I think zombies fear the Red Cross because we build the type of neighborhoods that know how to band together, get out and fight back!”
So maybe the relationship between the Red Cross and zombies truly is a complimentary one. Zombies are giving us something to prepare for, and we’re giving our communities the tools and opportunities to be prepared. However, in my mind, if zombies truly didn’t care about YOU or the Red Cross, they wouldn’t be trying to gnaw brains during a race, or showing up to blood drives.
Deep down inside, I believe the zombies want you to be prepared so the unprepared are easier to pick off when the zombie apocalypse happens.