In 1917, 36 years after the founding of the American Red Cross, groups of local citizens established Red Cross chapters in Clearwater, Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Tampa; Charlotte, Manatee and Pasco Counties. These chapters formed Florida’s West Coast Region of the American Red Cross, serving more than 3.5 million people. Also, in 1917, chapters formed across Florida’s Space Coast, Greater Orlando, and Mid-Florida which became the Mid-Florida Region. In 2014, the Mid-Florida Region joined Florida’s West Coast Region to form the current Central Florida Region. Our region has a long and proud history of providing comfort and relief to those most in need.