Three more US districts join Governors' Challenge

Posted by Haagen P. Cumlet

One of the largest blood drive projects within Rotary International, Governors' Challenge Blood Drive (GCBD), is expanding from two to five American Rotary Districts, representing over half of Texas and much of the neighboring state of Oklahoma to the north and a bit of Arkansas. In addition, GCBD is amending its charter to include organ and bone marrow donation.

2008-09 District Governor Jerry Parr and District Blood Chair Geoff Graham of District 5790, where the blood challenge was founded in 1996, had yet another reason to be satisfied with the turn of events: The goal of 7000 units of blood, which DG Jerry Parr had set with regard to voluntary blood donations during his year as governor, was fully met with a district tally of 7082 units, reaching a grand total of 60,001 units of donor blood, Geoff Graham's tally shows.

 

Nicknamed the Lone Star State, Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population. The expansion of the blood drive challenge was announced at the Lone Star Presidents-elect Training Seminar (PETS) in April 2009.

 

The Governor's Challenge spread in 2001 to District 9300 in South Africa, and in 2003 to the adjacent Texas District 5810 (Dallas and surrounding communities).  The three new Rotary Districts that now are joining are:

  • District 5890 (Greater Houston Area), led by 2009-10 DG Ed Charlesworth and Governors' Challenge Blood Drive Chair Cheryll Landis-Gerber;
  • District 5770 (southwest Oklahoma), led by 2009-10 DG Russ Davoren and Governors Challenge Blood Drive Chair Paula Price; 
  • District 5830(includes 21 counties in Texas, three counties inOklahoma and onecounty in Arkansas), led by 2009-10 DG Randi Duckworth and Governors' Challenge Blood Drive Chair Milly Green.

District 5710 lies in North Central Texas and encompasses Fort Worth, Arlington, Mid-cities, Wichita Falls, and Abilene areas.

At the suggestion of 2009-10 Governor Ed Charlesworth, D5890,  and in concord with his  colleague in District 5790, John Miller, the Governors' Challenge Blood Drive is expanding its charter to include organ and marrowdonation. Jointly they wish to add a Bone Marrow Registry and Organ Donation to the Challenge project. 

The Rotary Challenge  blood  drive was founded by Rotarian Chuck Kurtzman  (who served as club president in 1999-2000 and DG in 2003-04) as a project within his own club, Fort Worth South RC, and as a challenge to other local Rotary clubs to pitch-in and help the local blood centers. It soon became a District  feature and grew in size and scope. 

In 1998, DG Sid Pruitt adopted the Challenge, named it the Governor's Challenge, and brought almost all clubs in 5790 into participation. In 2006, PDG Chuck Kurtzman and PP Haagen Cumlet co-founded the Global Network for Blood Donation (GNBD), who shortly afterwards was recognized by Rotary International as a Rotarian Action Group. 

 

The Governors' Challenge of 2008-09 in District 5790

 

The most units of blood for the blood donor year 2008-09 (April through March) in District 5790 were procured by Wichita Falls North Rotary Club - with 1551 units, and with 36 members, the ratio reached a breathtaking 4308 per cent.

 

Among the clubs with 51 members or more, Weatherford Rotary Club procured 1382 units of blood, and with a membership of 114 reached a ratio of 1212 percent. BurlesonRC procured 791 units of blood and with only 61 members reached a ratio of 1297 percent.

 

Among clubs of 25 or fewer members, Colleyville RC procured 304 units of blood, and with a membership of 22 reached a ratio of 1382 per cent.

 

45 of the districts 64 clubs participated in the blood drive competition. District 5790 has about 3320 members

 

About 60 per cent of all Rotary districts around the world have clubs involved in volunteer blood donation. Rotary blood donor projects provide in excess of one per cent of the world's blood supply.According to PDG Chuck Kurtzman, that makes Rotary "one of the world's largest forces in voluntary blood donation. Our efforts help save lives on the same scale as our polio eradication efforts."

 

Fotnote: Click here to see the data sheet of District 5790 or go to DOWNLOADS. 

 

Fotnote: District Blood Chair Geoff Graham can be contacted at GGraham@carterbloodcare.org

 

Fotnote: PDG Chuck Kurtzman holds the post as Assistant General Coordinator Health and Hunger Resource Group 2008-10 and is currently the Vice President of GNBD. He can be contacted at info@ourblooddrive.org

 

Fotnote: Please also see the story (Annual statement from D5810: 6096 units of blood) about District 5810's blood donation tally for 2008-09 (click here) and the story (Southern Africa blood challenge) about South African District 9300 (click here).

 

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