TWO ITALIAN SYMBOLS, THE RED CROSS AND THE RED ARROW

The challenge out of time of the Mille Miglia is the challenge of the Italian Red Cross. The race from Brescia to Rome which since its birth in 1927 has united Italy, joins-for the second year running-the world’s largest humanitarian organization.
Barely a month has passed since the tragedy in Abruzzo, in southern Italy, which caused us to mobilize men and means to face the grave emergency of the earthquake. This historic race will help us to keep the headlights pointed on our priorities, warning us to be careful not to lower the guard on the front in Abruzzo.

THE PARTICIPATION OF THE RED CROSS.
This year the Italian Red Cross will participate in the Mille Miglia 2009 with dedicated areas in the three principal cities crossed by the race: Brescia, Ferrara and Rome. On the Roman leg of the Mille Miglia, the Italian Red Cross will also run a blood drive, with other blood donor associations, in the area of the Castel S. Angelo Mille Miglia Village. The Mille Miglia public can find out about and take advantage of the event to learn more about the Italian Red Cross, and through us, show their solidarity with the victims of the earthquake in Southern Italy.

 

FRANCESCO ROCCA ITALIAN RED CROSS COMMISSIONER

With conviction we have renewed our “marriage” with the “world’s greatest road race” (to quote Enzo Ferrari) as the humanitarian organization that is always active in the most delicate crisis zones of our planet. Today all our efforts and all our thoughts are focused on the enormous tragedy which has struck the people of Abruzzo in southern Italy. We cannot do otherwise. The challenge today after the immediate emergencies of the first days is to do everything we possibly can to bring the area back to normality. We, of the Italian Red Cross, were among the first on the scene. We will be the last to leave. We will leave only when Abruzzo is capable of walking, of moving into the future, on its own. The Mille Miglia 2009 is another important occasion to talk about Abruzzo, and to help the public get involved in this tremendous challenge. To help them help. For this reason we will use the race and its social moments to create a bridge between sport, history and solidarity towards the resolution of a tragedy which has struck at the heart of our country.

FRANCESCO ROCCA ITALIAN RED CROSS COMMISSIONER