District 5810 final 2007-08 donation report

Posted by Haagen P. Cumlet

District 5810 - one of the two districts in North Central Texas, USA, with a distinct blood donor drive program - the Governors' Challenge Blood Drive  -  has far exceeded its blood donation goal for the Rotary Year 2007-08, the district's Blood Donation Chair, George Elking, concludes in his final report. 

"This year's District donation total was a new record.  We had 6366, units of blood, and we are still trying to verify a blood drive number for the Dallas North Rotary Club.  Once we get that figure, our total donation level could be closer to 6700 units, George Elking stated in his report. The forecast for the entire blood donor year was set at 5208 units. 

The winning club - Plano Sunrise Rotary Club -collected 1252 units of blood under the direction of Dr. Tom Rodgers and Club President Richard Biggars, making the District Blood Donor Chair  "very proud". George Elking is a member of Plano Sunrise Rotary Club, and it is the first time, the district has a new club winner.   

"I'm happy to say that the Grayson County Rotary Club has continued it's outstanding effort by securing 1001 units of blood.  This club has been the District's top producer every year but this year," George Elking points out. Rotary Club of Park Cities  with 628 units  is also new at the top on the third place of the club challenge.

A large segment of Plano Sunrise Rotary Club's total donations comes from the Annual Plano Battle of the Badges (500 plus units).  
 

The Battle of the Badges, a Rotary sponsored contest between Police and Fire Departments, began in the city of Plano in 2005.  At this type of drive, District 5810 invites and solicits the general public to donate their blood for their favorites, either the fire or police departments.  To date the district has held this type of drive in several cities and towns.

"I want to thank all 54 clubs in District 5810, who had at least one unit of blood," George Elking wrote in his newsletter. District 5810 has 62 clubs and around 3080 members.

 

The District Blood Donor Chair believes that the 2008-09 race for blood will be even bigger and "we could see another new leading donor club."  The district's blood donation year runs from April to March.

"I've been in touch with District Governor Elect L. B. Showalter.  We have - with the help of both Carter BloodCare and Texoma Regional Blood Center - set next year's blood donation goal at 6609 units of blood.  That means we will need to generate a little over two units of blood per club member to reach that goal," George Elking has told his fellow Rotarians. 

Clich here to see the blood drive calendar of District 5810.

Click here to see the blood donation data sheet for the period April  2007 March 2008

Clich here to se the History of Annual Donations and Goals / District 5810

Go to Photo Journals to see pictures.

Footnote: George Elking  can be contacted at gelking@aol.com . He also serves as Secretary for Global Network for Blood Donation.

Editor's note : District 5810 is c omprised geographically of eight counties: Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall, in an area roughly seventy miles wide and one hundred forty miles long. Territorially District 5810 is the smallest of the nine present districts in Texas, but it is tied with several of districts for the number of clubs. District 5810 is part of Rotary International Zone 26, which also includes parts of Oklahoma and Louisiana.