It’s a webisode-based reality show that might have Saskatchewan residents checking their skyline for Trump Towers. But Regina-based Rock Bridge Realty doesn’t need Donald Trump or Celebrity Apprentice to cause a stir. The real estate company has just launched its second season of The Interview, a business reality show in which 10 entrepreneurs vie for a $100,000 job offer with the company by winning weekly challenges designed to raise money for the show’s charity of choice. This season the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan has that honour, as show organizers aim high—this year they hope to raise over $100,000 for Canadian Red Cross bullying prevention programs in the province. Last season they raised over $70,000 in charity.

Yesterday, The Interview kicked off its first challenge: Contestants have been paired off into two groups and have one week to design and market their own “Canadian Red Cross” DQ Blizzard. The creamy treat will be featured at two Dairy Queen locations in Regina. Every cent from blizzards sold will go to the Canadian Red Cross. After the week is out the dollars will be counted and teams will be judged by a panel of Saskatchewan business experts. But viewers will have the final say. Like American Idol, the public will vote two contestants off the show each week via The Interview’s Facebook page, Twitter account, and website.

In the spirit of friendly competition, the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan is asking the public to submit pictures of themselves enjoying their “Red Cross” blizzards this week via Twitter. The best picture will receive a prize.

This is a rare show, as it is entirely played out online and the vast amount of buzz surrounding the show has been created by using social media and word of mouth. It also takes advantage of Regina’s close business community and fun cooperative spirit. The Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan will also be a major part of one episode, but we are sworn to secrecy on the details so you will have to tune in to the show to find out! Watch The Interview 2 today or follow program developments via @theinterview2 and @RedCrossSK and get in on the action. It will be an exciting six weeks!

The cast of The Interview 2.

What goes better with a big, cold glass of milk than a hurricane…. cookie. Yes, that’s right – a hurricane cookie!

We found this recipe on www.instructables.com and we thought it was too cute not to share. Like most people, Red Crossers normally cringe at the thought of a hurricane, but we can appreciate them in cookie form (the only danger is to your waistline if you eat too much). And, even better, they combine two of my favourite flavours: chocolate and vanilla. Yum!

You can find the entire recipe – plus helpful step-by-step photos – here.

Do you think you will whip-up a batch of these any time soon?

This photo is courtesy of our sister society, the American Red Cross.

Ten month old Alasia Johnson grips a Mickey Mouse doll that was given to her by a Red Cross worker. Her family also received food and hygiene items from the Red Cross following the tornado that touched down in their Alabama community on January 23, 2012.

 At the Red Cross, when we think of disasters, we mostly think of earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, flooding and how we’re able to respond and help people. But with social media, a real-life crisis can quickly turn into an online disaster if we don’t provide timely updates and answer questions.

As we’ve seen after disasters in Haiti, Japan and the recent housing crisis in Attawapiskat, information and sometimes misinformation travels more quickly and to more people than ever before thanks to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogs.

We don’t claim to always get it right when it comes to social media, but we’re always looking for opportunities to learn best practices from experts and share our own experience of using social media to connect with our supporters. That’s why I was so keen to attend a session by Jeff MacArthur at Podcamp Halifax this past weekend. Jeff is the president of MGImedia Communications and the brother of Twitter Team member Amber Mac.

His talk focused on how to establish a respected social media presence and manage crisis, whether you’re a business owner or a non-profit like the Red Cross. Jeff gave great advice such as how important it is to listen, add value, be authentic, honest and correct, tell our stories, and manage risks on social media.

When it comes to avoiding disasters, many of the same best practices Red Crossers put into action when it comes to floods and fires also apply to social media: listen, be honest, accept a situation that you may not be able to control, be positive and proactive and ask for help if you need it. And of course, it all comes down to being prepared.

John and Shirley MacDonnell from Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia are the lucky winners of the Canadian Red Cross Lotomania grand prize. They were thrilled to receive their winnings from Red Cross provincial director, Ismael Aquino, last week. Congratulations!

ITALY: 250 Italian Red Cross staff and volunteers are taking part in the rescue and relief operation at the site of capsized liner Costa Concordia. The cruise ship hit rocks off Italy’s west coast on Friday night, killing at least 12 people and injuring 70. Volunteers have supplied more than 800 people with clothes, shoes, hygiene kits, medicines and other materials; moved people to nearby hospitals; and provided health care for 40 of the injured passengers at the medical post of the hospital of Orbetello.

UNITED STATES: The American Red Cross continues to provide food, shelter and basic necessities for residents of Alabama whose lives were affected earlier this week when tornadoes destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and left thousands of people without power.

 GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

It’s true.

Sunday evening, a severe weather system spun-off a series of tornadoes which touched down across several states in the Southern US, leaving behind a path of devastation.

In particular, Alabama was hit hard with homes damaged and destroyed, power knocked out, and roads blocked with debris. Our sister society, the American Red Cross has been busy responding on the ground and helping those affected.

While it’s normal to hear about tornadoes during the spring and summer, it’s rare to hear about one happening in the middle of January. Red Crossers tend to be weather junkies and we wondered if this was a normal occurrence. So, I decided to investigate!

Luckily, I didn’t have to do too much digging – the Christian Science Monitor already wrote an article with regards to this question. In the article, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said over the past 60 years there has been anywhere from no tornadoes in January to 109 (that was in 1999) in the US, ranging from F1 to F5 on the Fujita Scale. The spokesperson also said that the US tends to see its first tornado of the year somewhere in the country by the second week of January. So far this year, there have been at least 21 tornadoes in the US.

Here in Canada, tornadoes typically occur in Southern Alberta; Manitoba and Saskatchewan; Southern Ontario; Southern Quebec; the interior of British Columbia; and Western New Brunswick. Canadian tornado season is from April to September with peak months in June and July, but they can occur at any time of year as well.

All of this is a reminder that we can’t always predict the weather, regardless of the time of year, so it’s best to be prepared. For more information and tips, visit www.redcross.ca/ready. You can also learn more about tornado safety here.

Canadian Red Cross personnel in Edmonton have been busy this past weekend as they continue to respond to an 84-unit condominium fire that destroyed multiple suites and left many homeless late last week. Red Cross personnel stepped in right away to conduct needs assessments and have provided 64 individuals with support for basic necessities including food, shelter, clothing, hygiene kits and medication refills. To donate to Canadian Red Cross disaster response efforts, call 1-800-418-1111 or visit our website. In-kind donations, such as clothes, food and other supplies, while well-intentioned, will not be accepted.Click to view slideshow.

It’s not really a photo, but still worth sharing for Photo of the Day! I first saw this posted on the American Red Cross Facebook page.

Happy Monday, everyone.

Manitoba Injury Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Montebruno (at front) facilitates a SMARTSTART workshop with students in the Adult EAL Program at Winnipeg Technical College. The program, which is geared to newcomers to Canada, educates participants on how to prevent injuries in a Canadian environment, covering such topics as hot and cold weather emergencies, home and road safety, and the importance of creating a first aid kit and emergency preparedness kit for the home. Seventy-five people attended this workshop. By month’s end, SMARTSTART educators will have delivered the training to 400 newcomers across  Manitoba.