Respectfully submitted by Kaywyn J. Beswick, R.N./American Red Cross Morrison
Community Blood Program Leader.
The second American Red Cross Community Blood Drive of 2025 took place on
Thursday, March 20, at Morrison United Methodist Church. The sponsor for the canteen that day was Bethesda Lutheran Church; they have sponsored the March drives for the last several years. We are very appreciative of the ladies who buy groceries, bake cookies and bars, and prepare sandwiches for the donors, volunteers, and ARC staff. They were Nancy Usterbowski, Carol Oncken, Monica Anderson, Andrea Dalton, Dee Janssen, and Deloris Smith. Thank you for your yummy kitchen skills
Appreciation to Morrison United Methodist Church for allowing us to have the March drive in the Heritage Hall. Knights of Columbus had three fish fry dinners at St. Mary Catholic Church this month, and they asked me to move the March blood drive location. We are grateful for MUMC’s flexibility and for member Carole Patton! The May blood drive will be back at St. Mary Catholic Church.
Acknowledgement to our two dependable Certified ARC Volunteers, Pat Pendgraft and Irma Russell. These wonderful ladies not only check everyone in at the registration table. They also make appointments for the donors at the next blood drive and assist me with anything that needs done throughout the drive room. Appreciation to my faithful post-donation escorts, Rick Barr, Pat Popkin, and Carole Patton; these faithful friends assisted the donors walking from the donation lounger, over to the canteen, and served the donors their sandwiches and drinks.
American Red Cross gifted donors with knapsacks and wet bags.
We had 51 generous donors come through our doors to help save lives that day. The
terrific whole blood donors (helping save up to three lives) were Deb Adolph, Julie Damhoff, Barb Imel, Du Wayne Ottens, Pam Shank, Lyle Bush, Bill Kuehl, Beth Wroble, Toni Decker, Kayla DeKeyrel, Randy Kuehl, Bryan Vogel, Philip Olt IV, Penny Milnes, Joan Vander Bleek, Renee Vanderlaan, Sheila Sonberg, Ron Pilgrim, Lorna Temple, Tim Messina, Larry Tichler, Chris Hawkins, Nancy Shank, Karl Kovarik, Connie Tegeler, Harvey Tegeler, Kaywyn Beswick, Michelle Vinson, Kari Forster, Amy Oudekerk, Carolyn Aiken, Brad Bielema, Joe R. Bielema, Susan Gomez, Jon Kophamer, Kelly Smith, Tim West, DJ Fulton, and four people who did not want their names published as donors.
Randy Kuehl, left, has donated ten gallons. His uncle Bill Keuhl has donated over 14 gallons.
First-time donors with ARC were Taylor Whiles, and another woman who did not want her name published as a donor. We are thankful for the longtime donors who recruit new people to give blood! The amazing Double-Red-Cell/Power Red donors, that give an equivalent of two units and only donate three times a year, were Tom Demay, Larry Oudekerk, Ron Shank, Karl Kovarik, Keith Wiersema, Dwaine Schroeder, and one gentleman who did not want his name published as a donor.
The ARC goal for “good units” was 61; we only obtained 53 units, which is only
86.8% efficiency. It is not unusual for us to not reach goal at the January and March blood drives. We have several donors who are “snowbirds,” that travel to warmer destinations during the winter months. Plus, there has been a lot of sickness in the last several weeks. That caused people to cancel their appointments. The ARC does not want anyone to donate blood when ill; the recipient can “get” whatever the donors is fighting off, including cancer.) This is why the ARC asks that anyone who has cancer to avoid donating, until they have been released from their physician at least 12 months.
Other statistics from the drive were 35 folks using Rapid Pass, which is 68.63%, and
that’s great! There were only four deferrals, which is 7.8%, and that is just about what ARC expects. We had only eight cancellations and three “no show” persons, which is not too bad for winter. Cancelling before the drive begins is better than not showing up, because a “walk-in” can jump into a cancelled appointment slot and donate. If it is a “no show,” that time slot is “taken”and not available to a walk-in.
Only one unit was labeled “QNS” (quantity not sufficient; either the blood clotted off or the vein was leaking), and that is a good stat. Unfortunately, two of our double red cells donors were asked to give only one whole blood unit instead; only two DRC machines were sent to this drive. We usually have three available; one was probably out of commission for annual maintenance, so it seemed to take longer than usual for the donors to be done. Time must have gotten away from the staff and the last two
Power Red donors could not give two units each, but only one unit each. Hopefully, we will have three machines at all of our future drives to alleviate this issue.
Apologies to consistent, regular donors who ended up “not being eligible to donate” because of “being one or two days too early.” This always happens when there is a Leap Day. I just tell the people who donate all the time that they need to plan on skipping one drive per year. I myself usually skip the July drive.
Also, for your information, the last two times that I have donated blood I have felt awful later after getting home; this lasted into the next day. I am pretty sure that this occurred, because I did not drink the extra water both days that I had donated; so I was dehydrated. My symptoms were that of dehydration/hypovolemiaI. I always preach to donors to make SURE that you drink enough EXTRA water, at least 16 ounces above your usual water intake. I have been in the habit, for several years, of drinking at least 100 ounces of water per day (recommended by my Fitness Instructor. You should drink twice the amount of your body weight to be clinically sufficiently hydrated, to maintain optimal health. So, a 150 pound person should drink 75 ounces of water daily, a 200 pound person should drink 100 ounces of water daily, etc. I will get off my soapbox now!
The next ARC Morrison Community Blood Drive will be on Thursday, May 15, from
noon until 5:45 p.m., at St. Mary Church, 13320 Garden Plain Road. The sponsor will be Crossroads Community Church Ladies. Bring a spouse, neighbor, friend, co-worker, or anyone you find that day that is willing and able!
Have a wonderful Spring and a blessed Lent and Easter! Stay safe, everyone!