McCalls honored for long-time Red Cross support

Written By L. C. Leach III

He can’t say for certain where the first dollar went, who it helped, or which specific disaster it aided.

But in the past 25 years, Greenville resident Alvin McCall has donated more than one million of these dollars to the American Red Cross for supplies and relief efforts to aid countless disaster victims.

And this month, McCall and his late wife Wanda, were honored in both Greenville and the nation’s capital for their long-time support of the Red Cross. 

“People like Alvin and Wanda are few and far between,” said Brian Scoles, Chief Public Affairs officer for the Western Carolinas Region during a special reception for the McCalls on July 9 at the chapter’s headquarters in Greenville. “They just understand that in times of need, it takes people who have the ability they do to step up and help the way they have all these years.” 

A few of those ways have included giving money to aid victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2011 tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan and other parts of the Asian-Pacific Rim, and a hurricane known as Katrina that wreaked $81 billion of damage through the Gulf Coast in 2005. 

“And relief efforts for Haiti are still going on right now, largely due to people like Alvin McCall,” Scoles said. “His generosity has helped countless thousands of people.”

 This past May, McCall’s generosity was recognized in Washington, D.C., when he and Wanda were named as founding members of the American Red Cross’s Chairman’s Council, which was formed for people who make gifts of $1 million or more to the Red Cross.

The Council has 72 original members nationwide – “and (Alvin) is the only one from our region,” said son Mark McCall, Regional Red Cross Board Chair.

So what does Alvin have to say about all this?

Plenty – if you know Alvin. 

But when asked, he said he supports the Red Cross now for the same reason he did more than 25 years ago: “Because they are first responders.” 

“Every time you have a disaster in the world, no matter where it is, they are the first ones there,” McCall said. “And there aren’t too many charitable organizations that do that.” 

Of course, there aren’t too many people that can give, or have given, as much money to the Red Cross as Alvin and Wanda. 

And Alvin hopes there will be many more years to keep giving whenever the need arises.

“Whatever our means were, Wanda and I always gave all we could – and it seemed like the more we gave, the more we were able to give,” McCall said to the 35 people who showed up July 9 to honor his induction into the Chairman’s Council. “And to have this honor for me and Wanda is something I’m very proud of.”