TAMPA, Fla. — Downtown Tampa is lit up red Wednesday to raise awareness of American Red Cross Giving Day.

March is Red Cross Month, a tradition dating back to 1943 under President Franklin Roosevelt.

Wednesday’s fundraising drive helps the Red Cross prepare to help families displaced by fire or storm damage, and more broadly disasters that can impact greater numbers of people like hurricanes.

No one can explain the importance of the Red Cross quite like volunteer Ela Landegger.

Before she worked with the Red Cross, she was a recipient of its aid.

“There’s flames coming out the side of our building out the windows,” said Landegger, remembering her own brush with disaster. “And there, at 5 in the morning, this was in New York, February, cold, freezing, and there next to me this person materialized next to me and they said to me, ‘I’m with the Red Cross.’ ‘Do you need clothing or shelter? We are here to help.’ That was 33 years ago.”

And ever since then, she has served.

Landegger currently volunteers at the Red Cross Tampa Chapter, and says the majority of a volunteer’s work in Tampa is focused on house fires, military families and family reunification, and hurricane response.

“We respond every eight minutes to a home fire, every eight minutes,” Landegger said. “So during the time I am talking to you and maybe add a commercial break, we will be called out again.”

The need never stops.

And that’s why volunteers like Landegger push on to help the next person or family in need.

View more information on American Red Cross Giving Day and how you can help.