More than $1.4 million raised to date
Before the official on-stage check presentation, displaying the amount raised during this year’s Get Prepared, California! Auction, nearly $176,000, bringing the eight-year total to more than $1.4 million. From left: Amira Seaboch, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region; Chad Preacher, iHeartMedia; Pamela Diaz, California Earthquake Authority; and Chris Nance, California Earthquake Authority.
SACRAMENTO — The eighth annual Get Prepared, California! Auction—sponsored by the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and coordinated by iHeartMedia, Inc.—raised $175,882 in 2019. Auction proceeds will be dedicated to American Red Cross disaster-preparedness and relief efforts in California.
The 2019 Get Prepared, California! Auction, which featured numerous one-of-a-kind items, was open for bidding April 1 through April 30. Unique items up for bid included:
- Meet-and-greets with Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, and New Kids on the Block.
- A ride on the Goodyear Blimp.
- A trip to attend an NFL game in London.
- Unique sports experiences with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Clippers and Chargers.
Total proceeds were announced last Saturday, June 1, through an on-stage check presentation to the American Red Cross during KIIS FM’s Wango Tango concert in Los Angeles presented by JUVÉDERM.
“The Get Prepared, California! Auction is another way to help raise funds for the American Red Cross while reminding Californians to get ready for our state’s next damaging earthquake,” said CEA CEO Glenn Pomeroy. “Getting ready now will help us all get back to normal sooner after California’s next big one strikes.”
Most Californians live within 30 miles of an active fault. Scientists say there is more than a 99 percent chance that a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake will strike our state within the next 30 years.
The Get Prepared, California! Auction has raised a total of $1,405,882 in funding since it began in 2012. Proceeds allow enough funding for the American Red Cross to distribute more than 200,000 blankets at shelters, distribute more than 100,000 hot meals in communities or provide more than 400,000 “comfort kits” full of toiletries and personal items people might need following a natural disaster.
“We are pleased to count on partners such as the California Earthquake Authority and iHeartMedia to support the American Red Cross promoting preparedness and resiliency across California,” said Jarrett Barrios, CEO of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “For nearly a decade, the funds raised in this auction have helped provide the resources needed to support disaster-relief efforts in our communities.”
To learn more about the auction and how to prepare to survive and recover from California’s next damaging earthquake, visit GetPreparedCalifornia.org.
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The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) is a not-for-profit, privately funded, publicly managed organization that provides residential earthquake insurance and encourages Californians to reduce their risk of earthquake loss. Learn more at EarthquakeAuthority.com.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.