Red Cross dedicates Katherine Harper Staging Area

When neighbors are in need, they turn to the Red Cross. And in order to meet those needs, the Red Cross depends upon its benefactors.

On Tuesday, May 1, the Greater Carolinas Red Cross officially dedicated the Katherine Harper Disaster Staging Area as part of the Sadie Fowler Disaster Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ron and Katherine Harper were among key players in the creation of the Disaster Center. The Harpers, owners of Harper Corporation of America, which pioneered the successful use of industrial plasma flame-spraying technology for anilox rolls, provided money for the creation of a staging area within The Sadie Fowler Disaster Center.

This center is unique in that it is only one of a dozen facilities of its kind among Red Cross Chapters nationwide. The disaster center, which offers state-of-the art capabilities, and is staffed by 1,800 trained volunteers, enables the Greater Carolinas Red Cross to respond more quickly and efficiently to neighbors in need. It also provides a place for community residents to learn emergency preparedness so that they too may help their neighbors and save lives. Both Mecklenburg and Iredell County count on the Greater Carolinas Red Cross to be there when disaster strikes.

The Katherine Harper Disaster Staging Area provides 2,000 square feet of multi-use space for storing, loading and deploying disaster equipment and supplies.