After organizing the successful Ragland Summer Sizzle, Colleen Doty was tapped to head up the annual American Red Cross Heroes campaign for St. Clair County.

From pig kissing to pie baking, the American Red Cross is looking to St. Clair County residents to share their talents to raise funds for the upcoming year.

Colleen Doty of Ragland will be participating in the event, with the talent to be shared consisting of leadership, dedication and a whole lot of hard work. Recently, Doty was named chairwoman of the three-week fundraising spree.

During March, which is Red Cross month, chapters across the nation band together for a three-week fundraising spree, where “heroes” commit to raising $1,000 for the group “by any legal, moral, ethical means possible,” according to Christine Arnold, Executive Director of the St. Clair County chapter of the American Red Cross.

“It’s held locally to promote what we do in the communities, to raise funds for our disaster services and education services, things like that,” she added.

Any groups or individuals who commit to raising $5,000 will be recognized as superheroes.  

“Last year, the Odenville Fire Department did the Heroes Bike Ride, we’ve had individuals just call people they know and ask for donations, the Civitans raised money within their group of people they know; there’s really all kinds of possibilities,” Arnold said. “We really just want to make it fun.”

The event raised $7,900 this year, but with a $30,000 goal on the horizon for 2011, the Red Cross needs to get creative to reach it.

That’s where Doty comes in.

Doty has previous event-planning experience, the most recent being the Ragland Summer Sizzle, where she came into contact with Arnold, who later asked her to head up the Red Cross campaign, as well.

“I think with her being able to focus just on the campaign, she’ll be able to recruit the people we need in the places around the county that will be able to facilitate a strong fundraiser for us that we can grow on ever year,” Arnold said.

Doty hopes to bring a new, fresh vision to the program, which was previously one of many projects Arnold had to juggle during the year.

“I’m ambitious, and I’m definitely thinking outside the box,” Doty said. “We definitely think this will open the door for more awareness, as well as to help the community. The money goes right back into the community to help those in need, and no one ever knows when they’re going to have a need.”