Tuesday, March 28, 2006

A last-minute $2,000 gift from Paducah Remediation Services on Monday allowed the Paducah area chapter of the American Red Cross to squeak past its fundraising goal.

The "Heroes for the American Red Cross" campaign beat its $65,000 goal by $50 thanks to the business, which will replace Bechtel Jacobs as the subcontractor at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

The money will be used to meet needs in McCracken, Livingston, Ballard and Hickman counties, fundraising committee chairman Glenn Denton said. It will cover services such as helping families who have had their homes destroyed by fires, tornadoes or flooding; coordinating regional disaster training, communication and response; helping military families; and providing health and safety training such as CPR and swimming lessons.

Of the total raised, $40,000 is already in the charity's bank account. The campaign started March 6.