Kaywyn J. Beswick, R.N./Morrison Community ARC Blood Program Team Leader submitted this report and photographs.
The second American Red Cross Community Blood Drive of 2023 was held on Thursday, March 16, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 13320 Garden Plain Road, from noon to 6:00 p.m. Thank you, SMCC, for allowing us to host our drives in your church hall; we appreciate your generosity.
The Women of Bethesda Lutheran Church were sponsors of the canteen. They purchased groceries, prepared delicious sandwiches and cookies, and provided juice. BLC women who helped were Carol Oncken, Andrea Dalton, Nancy Usterbowski, Deloris Smith, Carol Stitcher, and Dee Jansen; thank you very much, ladies. I am grateful for you all being our March sponsor. Donors were always really happy to see egg salad, chicken salad, and ham sandwiches, and all the cookies!
Caption: Four-of-six Bethesda women who prepared food are, left-to-right, Nancy Usterbowski, Deloris Smith, Andrea Dalton, and Carol Oncken.
Captions: ARC employee Shannon Andrews helped husband Richard donate whole blood. Three double red cells/Power Red machines allow donors to give twice as much blood product and donate fewer times a year. Lyle Bush completed his 30th gallon/250th unit. He is with Kaywyn Beswick, Morrison Community Blood Program Team Leader.
Great appreciation for the Knights of Columbus who help clear out the church hall before the drive, and come back when the drive ends, to place it all back; they were Terry Hoehn, Jim Fisher, Mary and Vern Latwesen, and Luke Vander Bleek. Thank you so much for your muscles!
Special acknowledgement to the certified ARC volunteers, Irma Russell and Sheila Zinke, who came to make the drive run smoothly. And, once again, recognition for my faithful volunteer couple, Mary and Vern Latwesen, who are always willing to lend a hand! We are so blessed in this upper western Illinois area with tremendously kindhearted people!
Sixty-five wonderful people came to give of their time and blood products. The fantastic whole blood donors were Craig Brady, Stephanie Vavra, Mary Latwesen, Julie Damhoff, Bryan Vogel, Lyle Bush, Randy Kuehl, Deb Adolph, Philip Olt IV, Kathleen Adams, Stephen Sippel, Lori Ploenzki, Lisa Nice, DuWayne Ottens, Kelsie Lowery, Tammy Pruis, Cheryl Geiger, Bill Anderson, Teresa Keag, Larry Keag, Jeff Davey, Jackie Damhoff, Pam Shank, Connie Tegeler, Mike Britt, Dale Beswick, Nancy Shank, Kaywyn Beswick, Carolyn Aiken, Sheila Sonberg, Joan Vander Bleek, Keith Wiersema, David Stickel, Kari Forster, Teresa Slagle, Beth Wroble, Tim West, Barb Imel, Joe R. Bielema, Ken Gooley, Connie Swanson-DeSpain, Brooke Newman, Luke Vander Bleek, and eight people (two women and six men) who did not want their names published.
We had 14 terrific double red cell/Power Red donors, who donated the equivalent of two units. They were Vern Latwesen, Evan Davis, Thomas Rosenbalm, Jack Bland, Jim Fisher, Jamie White, Harvey Tegeler, Larry Sonberg, Tom Demay, Terry Jones, Duane Imel, Kelly Smith, and two gentlemen who did not want their names published. There were 11 donors who reached pin milestones: Cheryl Geiger, 2 gallons; Tammy Pruis and Kari Forster, 3 gallons; Kenneth Stewart, 4 gallons; Tim West, 5 gallons; Nancy Shank and Harvey Tegeler, 8 gallons; Bill Anderson, 12 gallons; Connie Swanson-DeSpain,13 gallons; Tom Rosenbalm,18 gallons; Lyle Bush, 30 gallons! These giving donors have helped save 2336 lives! Lyle Bush has helped 720 patients in his lifetime.
Deferrals from donating amounted to nine people. One had been taking a medication on the deferral med list; two had displayed a blood pressure problem; six were due to low hemoglobin (iron count.) ARC recommends taking Flintstones Chewable Vitamins for 2-3 days before donating, to boost the hemoglobin into the approved range. I increase my veggie intake for the few days before, have steak for dinner the evening before the drive, and take over-the-counter iron for a few days ahead of the drive. I have not been deferred for over two years. The two people with the high blood pressure are seeing their care providers. Our four “walk-in” folks helped counter the four “no-shows” and two cancellations the day of the drive. I am so glad that the ARC is taking walk-ins again, because they really help us reach our goals.
In order to increase the number of eligible donors in our area, we had a fun challenge between the Morrison Police Department and Fire Department. I am happy to say, that we had a couple first-time donors for the American Red Cross. I hope that they join the regular donor ranks! I really am very thankful for our men in uniform, who perform their civic duty by donating blood, as well as risking their lives to save ours.
Captions: Fireman Joe Bielema shows his 18 gallon pins and in close-up. Fireman Jamie White donated double red cells.
About 65% of the scheduled donors used Rapid Pass, to shorten up their donation time by answering the history questions online that morning, before coming into the drive. This usually saves the donor about 10-15 minutes of time. The Red Cross encourages all donors with access to smart phones or computers to use Rapid Pass; it’s quick and easy. You can access it on the Red Cross website at www.giveblood.org, or get the blood donor app on your phone.
All donors received a complimentary 24-ounce, metal, reusable, water bottle from monies gifted to the Morrison ARC Blood Drive, for donors at our drives. These were given by the Jim Shirk Family. Jim passed away in August 2022 suddenly and unexpectedly, just two weeks after donating double red cells at our July drive. Jim had been up to almost four gallons of Power Reds units donated. We are very humbled by the Shirk family’s generosity.
Our next Morrison Community ARC blood drive will be on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from noon to 6:00 p.m., at St. Mary Church, 13320 Garden Plain Road, Morrison, IL. The sponsor will be the St Mary Parish Family. Bring your spouse, coworker, neighbor, or friend. Remember to take your iron for a few days before, and drink extra fluids that day!