(PHOENIX) February 8, 2010 - The Grand Canyon Chapter is excited to announce that CPR and first aid scholarships are available for military members, their families and veterans. From the front lines to the home front, the American Red Cross provides service members, their families and veterans with the care and assistance they need.

Last year, your local chapter relayed 1,600 critical messages to service members around the globe and provided more than 4,100 military members with outreach services and pre-deployment briefings. Now, with a $4,900 grant from the National American Red Cross, Arizona military families can learn to save a life for free.

Red Cross has a proud history of providing services to military personnel and their families,” said Bill Epps, Grand Canyon Chapter Chief Executive Officer. “This is a small gift we can give for all that they do and sacrifice for our country.”

Red Cross lifesaving skills classes are designed to give people the confidence to respond in an emergency situation with skills that can save a life. These classes can foster safer families, neighborhoods and worksites.

The scholarships will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis until all of the grant money is used. There are a variety of CPR and First Aid classes available. For a list with descriptions, visit www.arizonaredcross.org and click on “Take a Class.”

To take a class as a participant in the Service to the Armed Forces CPR and First Aid scholarship program, you must call 602-347-6516 to register.

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About the American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter

The American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter is where volunteers from across central and northern Arizona come together to help people in need every day. The volunteer-led organization serves more than 5.2 million people in communities across Apache, Coconino, Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma counties. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the financial generosity of Arizona neighbors to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.arizonaredcross.org or call 1-800-842-7349. . To give blood, visit www.givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE LIFE.