SIDNEY — After the hustle bustle of the holidays and the first snow of the season, it’s tempting to hunker down during the month of January and hibernate. But Community Blood Center hopes you’ll venture out when able to make a New Year’s blood donation.
January is National Blood Donor Month, a tradition that began in 1970 to raise awareness that blood is often in short supply during the winter months. The challenge begins with December’s holiday activities, vacations and family travel. The arrival of winter brings snow storms, school cancelations, difficult road conditions and seasonal illness combine to make blood collections more difficult.
CBC begins the New Year with an ample reserve and careful blood collection planning in place to reliably provide the blood and blood products needed to its 25 partner hospitals and health centers across a 15-county service area.
“We have to be constantly vigilant, and consistently recycle the blood types and blood products that may be needed at a moment’s notice,” said CBC Chief Operating Officer Jodi Minneman. “We have collection goals to meet every day, no matter what obstacles we face. We count on our donors to help us overcome any challenge.”
CBC must register approximately 300 blood and platelet donors per day, with an average of seven mobile blood drives per day.
National Blood Donor Month is also a time to honor all those who donate whole blood, platelets, and plasma. “We love our donors,” said Minneman. “They care so much for the good of our community.”
Blood is needed approximately every two seconds to treat patients with cancer and other diseases, organ transplant recipients, and accident victims. Car accident victims may require dozens of units of blood and blood products.
Only 37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, and less than 10 percent donate annually. A whole blood donation takes about an hour. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com or call 1-800-388-GIVE.
If you are at least 17 years of age (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds (you may have to weigh more depending on your height) and meet other donor requirements, you may be eligible to donate blood. Learn more at www.GivingBlood.org.
Area January blood drives include:
Jan. 7, Sidney Masonic Temple, Sidney 9 a.m. to noon, public blood drive
Jan. 11, Airstream, Jackson Center, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., employee blood drive
Jan. 11, Urbana High School, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., student blood drive
Jan. 13, Peerless Food Equipment, Sidney, 8 to 11 a.m., community and employee blood drive
Jan. 18, Emerson, Sidney 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., employee blood drive
Jan. 19, Emerson, Sidney noon to 4 p.m., employee blood drive
Jan. 19, Cargill, Sidney noon to 4 p.m., employee blood drive
Jan. 24, Honda of America, Anna, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., employee blood drive
Jan. 24, Sidney American Legion, sponsored by Wilson Health, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., community blood drive
Jan. 25, Mary Rutan Hospital, Bellefontaine, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., community blood drive
Jan. 25, Botkins High School, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., student blood drive
Jan. 25, Honda of America, Anna, 4 to 8 p.m., employee blood drive
Jan. 26, Honda Transmission, Russel’s Point, employee blood drive
The Community Blood Center is honored to recognize these “ Donors for Life”:
• 180 donations: Rick Schlater, Fort Loramie.
• 170 donations: Kenneth Replogle, Houston.
• 130 donations: Billie Fisher, Sidney; Cynthia Replogle, Houston.
• 110 donations: Randy Hoehne, Fort Loramie.
• 90 donations: Kathleen Hoehne, Houston; Greg Wildermuth, Anna; Terri Jacobs, Fort Loramie.
• 70 donations: Joslin Kies, Sidney; Tom Geise, Fort Loramie; Jim Davis, Jackson Center.
• 60 donations Teresa Barhorst, Brian Albers, Mark Richards, Fort Loramie.
• 50 donations: Dan Hemmert, Sidney; Angie Demange, Anna.
• 40 donations: Dianne Hubbell, Melissa Bowers, William Harp, Sidney, Maplewood; Joyce Platfoot, Botkins.
• 30 donations: Belinda Wolaver, Minster.
• 25 donations: June Albers, Russia; Sandy Branscum, Fort Loramie.
• 20 donations: Steve Schroeder, Gail Watercutter, Shane Walls, Sidney; Bob Weiskittel, Troy; Oscar Keith Scheer, Anna.
• 10 donations: Patty Brown, Huntsville; Steven Mowery, Spencer Hina, Don Gilroy, Belinda Gifford, Scott Schulze, Sidney; Cassie Bergman, Botkins, Marian Spicer, Nita Neikamp; Julia Kettler, Anna.
• 5 donations: Joey Marlow, Griffin West, Regan Carey, Sebastien Harshbarger, Justice Williams, Sidney; Mary Jo Meyer, Sam Swab, Keith Stang, Houston; Matt Koverman, Jill Schulze, Anna; Gregory Pottes, Piqua.
Learn more at www.GivingBlood.org.
