Posted by Haagen P. Cumlet

Throughout August, Rotary Clubs in four northwest Michigan counties, District 6290, will engage in the second annual Rotary Blood Challenge, a competition to see which club can convince the most members, family, and friends to roll up their sleeves and donate blood, Michigan Community Blood Centers report on their website.  

In 2006, three Traverse City area Rotary Clubs presented their first Rotary Blood Challenge. This year, six area Rotary Clubs will take part in the competition, in conjunction with local blood provider Michigan Community Blood Centers. The goal of the contest is to help reduce the risk of blood shortages at a high-need time.

Participating clubs this year include Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary, Rotary Club of Traverse City, Traverse Bay Twilight Rotary, Rotary Club of Elk Rapids Rotary, Rotary Club of Kalkaska, and Suttons Bay-Leelanau County Rotary.

The public is invited to participate by donating blood any time in August, at any Michigan Community Blood Centers mobile blood drive, or at any permanent BloodCenter donation location. After signing in to donate, each person can designate his or her donation to be counted toward the contest totals for the Rotary Club of their choice. Any healthy person 17 or older who weighs 110 pounds or more may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. A complete schedule of blood drives and donation centers is available at www.miblood.org .

The winner of the Rotary Blood Challenge is determined by the total number of donors recruited by each club, figured as a percentage of its membership. The club that achieves the highest percentage of participation in the Challenge will be honored at a ceremony in September and will be permanently recognized with the inscription of their name on a plaque at Michigan Community Blood Centers main donor center in Traverse City.

"During August, blood banks all across the country usually see a seasonal slump in blood donations," said Peter Wandoff, Michigan Community Blood Centers recruiter, who is coordinating the Rotary Blood Challenge. "Hopefully this campaign will help keep blood donations flowing at a very high-need time. Last year's Challenge was great fun and we are looking forward to even better results this year. It's a lifesaving project for the Rotary on behalf of - and together with - the community, and it's a great fit with Rotary's commitment to Service Above Self."

A nonprofit blood bank that provides blood for hospitals in four regions of the state, Michigan Community Blood Centers in Northwest Michigan collects blood in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, and Osceola counties. The entire blood supply for hospitals in those counties (including all Munson Health System facilities, WestShoreMedicalCenter in Manistee, and Spectrum Health-Reed City Campus) is provided by Michigan Community  Blood Centers. After all local hospitals' needs have been met, Michigan Community Blood Centers shares any available blood with other communities across the state and nation, and also responds to disaster-related and military needs for blood.