Red Cross honors Rotary Club

Rotary Club received Certificate og Recognition from American Red Cross

On Janurary 3, 2007, in honor and appreciation of these humanitarian acts by the ValentineRotary Club, a certificate of recognition was presented to the Valentine Rotary Club by the American Red Cross. Presenting the award was Collete Guynan, Donor Recruitment Representative for the American Red Cross.  Receiving the award for the Valentine Rotary Club was Chari Bessey, President of the Rotary Club and William Bob Stetter, Blood Drive Coordinator for the Valentine Rotary Club.  Also receiving recognition was Cherry Hills Estates and the Valentine Midland News for the Red Cross Gallon Challenge.  The Gallon Challenge encourages businesses to sign up at least eight blood donors to participate in the blood drive.  Eight donors equal one gallon of blood.

"It is a privilege to recognize the effort of the Valentine Rotary Club and those businesses that allow employees time off to donate blood", said Guynan.  "The Red Cross relies on communities such as Valentine and its donors to help keep the blood inventory where it needs to be.  Donors should realize that they are truly saving a life when they donate blood.  It's just a matter of donors taking the time to do so.  When you think of the people who receive donated blood you realize that an hour and a half out of your day is very minimal to the life it saves".

Stetter stated that the Rotary sponsored blood drives started on January 16, 2003 and were first held at the newly built Cherry Hills Estates assisted living facility.  Due to an increase in residents at the new facility and an increase in blood donors, the blood drives were moved to the Catholic Parish Hall where they have remained.  Stetter expresses his gratitude to the people of Valentine and surrounding area who so faithfully give blood at every drive.  "It has almost become a social gathering", Stetter said.  "Donors love getting together with their friends and neighbors, give blood and sit and visit over a cup of orange juice, and a sandwich or a cookie".   "It is a great way to see old and new friends". 

A drawing, sponsored by the Valentine Rotary Club, will be held after the blood drive on January 11.  Donors will be offered to put their name in a container.  At the end of the blood drive a name will be drawn for a certificate worth $50 in Chamber Bucks.  "This is our way of saying "Thank You" to a lucky donor", Stetter said.

Currently, the Red Cross's Division sits at a 3-day supply of blood.  Type 0, however, continues to be in high demand and short supply - less than a one-day supply at times.  The Red Cross strives to have a 5 to 7 day supply of all blood types at all times.

Blood is traditionally in short supply during the winter months due to the holidays, travel schedules, inclement weather and illness.  January in particular, is a difficult month to collect blood donations.  As evidenced by other Red Cross divisions throughout the country and our division, it only takes one snow storm to cancel hundreds if not thousands of blood donations and put the inventory at extreme risk.

Just as the Red Cross volunteers from across the country converge to help during major disasters; donated blood goes to save lives wherever that may be.  Local hospital needs are always met first.  However, as a national blood system, the American Red Cross has a unique responsibility to help ensure all hospital patients throughout the United States have blood when they need it.  Through their national network they can quickly move blood around the country as needed.

Each year, blood donations increase by 2-3 percent, but the demand for blood climbs at a rate of 6-8 percent because of an increase in medical procedures that use blood products.  Also, blood is a perishable product with a self-life of 42 days, so it must be replenished constantly.  There simply is no substitute.  First time donors are encouraged so that blood donations will increase on an annual basis.

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Editor's note: The above article was carried by a local Valentine newspaper. Valentine Rotary Club is a charter club,  District 5630 a charter district and DGE (2006-07) William Bob Stetter a charter member of the Global Network for Blood Donation. Bob  Stetter can be contacted at:

stetter@inebraska.com

The network' s president, Charles Kurtzman, has sent his "Congratulation on the article and the great job you folks are doing." 

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