With the grant money, the Red Cross chapter will offer more training opportunities to both new and existing volunteers. New volunteers are always welcomed at the Central Oklahoma Chapter so it can better serve people in its 12-county coverage area. Volunteers are the backbone of every Red Cross chapter and carry out more than 90 percent of the work in Central Oklahoma, from disaster relief to teaching CPR courses.

The grant also will allow the existing volunteer base to receive a higher level of training. The Central Oklahoma Chapter will offer a training institute next spring to give volunteers more skills to carry out the Red Cross mission.

"When disaster strikes, we must be well-equipped with trained volunteers to meet people's needs right away," said Vince Hernandez, CEO of the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma. "This grant from Wal-Mart gives us additional resources to help people when they need it the most. We look forward to strengthening our volunteer leadership and welcoming new volunteers on board."

The American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma serves the counties of Oklahoma, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Grady and eastern Caddo, as well as seven more counties in the Shawnee and Lawton areas. Each year in those counties, the Red Cross helps nearly 400 families who have been devastated by house fires. The Red Cross also meets people's immediate needs after natural disasters such as tornadoes and wildfires. Most Red Cross disaster relief workers are volunteers who willingly give their time and skills to help their fellow Oklahomans rebuild their lives.

The Wal-Mart Foundation awarded a total of $5 million to the American Red Cross to strengthen disaster preparedness in 128 communities in 44 states and three U.S. territories. The goal of the donation is to ensure that smaller, rural communities can respond to the needs of their residents in the first few days after a disaster.