The East Tennessee Red Cross held its first Red, White and Rock summer celebration Thursday.
The event at Cherokee Mills highlighted the work of the Red Cross in our community. The East Tennessee chapter is responsible for 36 counties in our region.
At Thursday's celebration, the Red Cross raised money through an auction and donations, and most of that money will go straight back to our community.
"91 percent of the dollars raised this evening will be used here locally. With all the fires, tornadoes, flooding, so this is an important part of how we keep our programs and making sure we're prepared for the disaster relief when it arrives," said Lisa Janke, an event organizer.
In addition to disaster relief, the Red Cross also offers health and safety programs for youth and volunteer training.
Our Allison Bybee was the emcee at the event.