SKOKIE, Ill.—The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago honored the Portland Cement Association (PCA) with the Stuart Wesbury Award for Community Partnership at its Annual Meeting, June 19 in Chicago.  PCA was lauded for its support as a founding member of the Safe Home Illinois initiative.

Safe Home Illinois, jointly sponsored by the Red Cross and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, educates government officials, building industry professionals and the public about building products and techniques that can mitigate tornado and wind storm damage.  Established in early 2006, the Safe Home Illinois partnership has held a number of mitigation seminars and events in the Chicago area, in addition to recently constructing a precast concrete Fortified…for safer living® home in the suburb of Aurora, Ill. PCA has been an active participant of the program including providing instructors for several seminars.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety’s Fortified…for safer living program specifies construction, design, and landscaping guidelines to increase a new home’s resistance to natural disasters from the ground up.

The Stuart Wesbury Award for Community Partnership was established to honor a past Red Cross chapter Board member.  Other Safe Home Illinois partners receiving a Wesbury Award were Simpson Strong-Tie and PCI members Dukane Precast and Pre-Stress Engineering Corporation. 

About PCA
Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. More information on PCA programs is available at www.cement.org.