Kaywyn J. Beswick, R.N./ARC Morrison Community Blood Program Leader, submitted the report and photos.
The third Morrison Community American Red Cross blood drive of 2024 was held on Thursday, May 16, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 13320 Garden Plain Road, Morrison, IL, from noon to 5:45 p.m.
The sponsor for the canteen was Crossroads Community Church. Thank you, Crossroads, for taking on the May sponsorship with such short notice. Remarkable ladies who “hit it out of the park” were Paula Rodriguez, Kris Muur, Phyllis Douglass, Linda Temple, and Tammy Wilson. You all did a fantastic job with the sandwiches, fruit, and cookies! We are very happy to have your church join the sponsorship list, and sponsor the May blood drives annually! Thank you so very much!
Appreciation to St. Mary’s Church for allowing the ARC to use their church hall to host the blood drives five times a year; we are grateful for your generosity. Shown are certified ARC volunteers, Pat Pendgraft, left, and Irma Russell, right, with Beswick. “Thanks goes to them,” stated Beswick, “for being faithful attendees, helping to keep the drive running smoothly.”
Acknowledgment goes to the dependable post escort volunteers, Vern Latwesen and Rick Barr; you two are very devoted and dutiful! Barr is shown with Beswick before a wall of past event t-shirts.
“This May 2024 drive happens to have been my 15th year coordinating the Morrsion American Red Cross Community blood drives. I took over for our dear, sweet friend, Pat Wagenecht, and began in May 2009. It surely does not seem to have been that many years already! I have truly enjoyed it and have met some really great people!”
The Knights of Columbus have assisted me the last couple of years with clearing out the church hall the evening before, and returning at the end of the blood drive to return everything back to its proper place. For this drive, it was Luke Vander Bleek and another gentleman from our church, who did not want his name published. I am blessed to have your loyalty.
We had 55 people give of their time and themselves and their priceless blood products. The wonderful whole blood donors were Craig Brady, Marsha Geerts, Stephanie Vavra, Lorna Temple, Cathie Downs, Wayne Engels, Steve Geerts, Kevin Hook, Mary Latwesen, Julie Damhoff, Bryan Vogel, Randy Kuehl, Deb Adolph, Debbie Wilson, Ann Ganger, Renee Vanderlaan, Lisa Nice, Jackie Damhoff, Philip Olt IV, Joyce Hamstra, Penny Milnes, Cindy Hoogheem, Larry TIchler, Kaywyn Beswick, Amy Oudekerk, Connie Tegeler, Beth Wroble, Dick Wieneke, Carolyn Aiken, Dave Temple, Kari Forster, Robyn Stewart, Ken Stewart, Julie Brown, Jerrie Jackley, Dennis Zickert, Tim West, Susan Gomez, Connie Swanson-DeSpain, Pam Shank, Luke Vander Bleek, and two women and four men who did not want their names published.
There were seven double red cell/Power Red donors who gave two units of packed RBCs. They were Dave Boyles, Sally Knapp, Duane Imel, Kelly Smith, Jill Bramm, Dale Belt, and one gentleman who did not want his name published. Pictured front-to-back are Duane Imel, Norm Edlund, and Kelly Smith.
We had a total of three first-time donors join the ranks: Aubrey Bush, Jerrie Jackley, and one gentleman who did not want his name published. I appreciate you three for coming in and trying something new to help save lives!
Our goal for the drive was 60 good units, but we feel short, collecting 52 units. That’s only 86.66% of goal. Our deferral rate was six donors, which is about 11%. Most were due to having not enough hemoglobin. The Red Cross hemoglobin criteria is the high side of the normal range, so that the donor does not leave that day being anemic. If you have been deferred before, please consider taking an over-the-counter iron tablet daily for 2-3 days before donating; or eat a steak dinner the evening before the drive!
About 60% of the donors used the online Rapid Pass registration, which saves the donor about 10-15 minutes. Three donors reached gallon pin milestones: Dave Boyles earned a 2-gallon pin; Duane Imel attained an 11-gallon pin; Kaywyn Beswick acquired 14-gallon pin status.
There were eight cancellations before the drive began, and five “no show” appointments. But we had six walk-ins, which balanced out the ones who did not attend the drive.
Several people voiced their disenchantment with being “two days too early” to donate. Unfortunately, this usually happens to regular, all-the-time donors who come give blood at almost every drive. It is due to a couple reasons. The calendar moves ahead a day every year; for example, this year, if your birthday lands on a Tuesday, next year it lands on a Wednesday. And, Leap Year adds another day to the mix. Our May blood drive in 2023 was on May 18, and this February we had a Leap Day. So, this year’s May blood drive landed on Thursday, May 16; thus making a lot of potential donors two days “early.” My apologies to all of you: but, I’m just the messenger. Plus, my ARC donor Rep/Account Manager has moved three of my blood drives this year to the second Thursday in the odd month, instead of the usual third Thursday of the odd months. That also messes with donors’ eligibility dates. The ARC rule is whole blood donations have to be at least every 56 days, and Double Red Cell donations have to be every 112 days. I don’t make these rules; I just make sure that they are followed. Thank you all for your understanding and cooperation.
The next Morrison Community Blood Drive will be held at Morrison United Methodist Church, 200 W. Lincolnway, on Thursday, July 18, from noon to 5:45 p.m.; MUMC will be the canteen sponsor.
You can make an appointment online at www.giveblood.org, or contact me by Facebook Messenger, or text or call me at 815-718-5117. Thank you for your kindness and generosity!