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Old News
Blogger's Week 2008
Blogger's Week is back from August 17th-23rd. ErieBlogs.com has teamed up with the Community Blood Bank again this year to recruit our techno savvy donors to come in and donate. This year we have a great prize. All donors how sign in on behalf of thier blog will be entered to win an I-phone courtesy of the Community Blood Bank and ErieBlogs.com. Also, the blog with the most donors will win a wonderful gift basket full of prizes donated by local businesses. Don't forget, when you sign in you will also be registered to win our 42" HD-Plasma Televsion set!
Preseason Reason to
Give Blood
Football Season will be starting soon and WICU 12 is broadcasting all of this year's games in Hi Def. What will you be watching it on? The Preseason Reason to Give Blood promotion will reward one lucky donor with a 42" HD-Plasma TV just in time for football season. This contest euns from August 1st through August 31st adn is intended to help the blood bank maintain a safe blood supply during the month of August.
"This TV is big and beautiful and watching all the games in Hi-Def will be amazing!" said Dan Desrochers, Director of Marketing at the blood bank. "We are hoping for a safe month for everyone. Please do your part by donating blood."
Critical Blood Shortage
ERIE, PA - The Critical blood shortage continues into its second week. The blood supply remains at critically low levels, with type O Positive, the most common type with 38% of the population having it, the lowest. Average and below average donor turnout for the past 10 days or so has been coupled with extraordinarily heavy blood usage to create this situation. There is no single event to point at, just across the board heavy usage by local patients.
“With summer in full swing our concerns now are for the patients who will need blood in the near future,” says Dan Desrochers Director of Marketing at the Community Blood Bank. “We want people to know that helping out is fast and easy and giving blood really does matter to local patients.”
For the week of June 23rd - June 28th
The Great Gas Give Away
Country Fair has stepped up to help with the local blood shortage by donating 55 $20 gas cards to be given at random to blood donors all this week at the Community Blood Bank's fixed site at 26th and Peach in Erie.
The Great Gas Give Away encourages people to come and give blood to the Community Blood Bank to help end the local blood shortage. Country Fair made this tremendous donation because they know the importance of keeping the blood supply safe.
Starting today, 10 donors will be chosen at random each day to win a gas card when they sign up to save a life. And 5 will be given on Saturday!
"We are so grateful for Country Fair's generosity." Said Dan Desrochers, Director of Marketing at the blood bank, "So drive on down, top off the blood supply and maybe get a gas card from Country Fair to top off your tank!"
Union City High School Wins Scholarship Competition
Union City High School recently won the Community Blood Bank Scholarship Competition. Out of 17 participating high schools in Erie County, Union City High School won with an average blood drive participation rate of 56%. The school was awarded $1,000, which it divided between two senior students. Pictured from left are Michael Zarger, teacher and blood donor chairperson for Union City High School, recipient Larkyn Long and recipient Caylee Gross.
Major Construction at the Blood Bank...
The Community Blood Bank is growing again, this time the facility at 26th and Peach is expanding. Local contractors; Considine Biebel and Company, is handling the two floor addition at the rear of the blood bank which is being done primarily to expand the laboratory to accommodate a new testing technology. The four month project, expected to be completed by August will cost over $300,000. This construction will allow the CBB to do all blood testing locally, ending the need to ship certain testing to Florida as is done now. This will reduce the time it takes from when a person donates blood to when the blood gets to the hospital by half and will improve patient safety at area hospitals.
The new technologies are called the Abbott PRISM, which will replace the current testing platform in place at the CBB, and the very sensitive Nucleic Acid Testing equipment (NAT) for HIV, HCV, and West Nile Virus are currently being sent to Florida.
41st Annual Donor Dinner...
Melissa Schweitzer speaking at the Donor Dinner
The Community Blood Bank held its 41st annual Donor Dinner at the Bel Aire in Erie Thursday, April 17th at 7pm. This year’s dinner theme was “Taking a Closer Look”. The guest speaker, Melissa Schweitzer, is a mother who takes a medicine called I.V.I.G. that is made from blood plasma. Last year the CBB provided over 3,500 Liters of plasma to make this miracle drug.
Roman Kloecker receiving his 95 gallon award plaque, also picture (from the left) Jacky Kocz - Executive Director , Bernie Myers- Head of Donor Operations and Natalie Dwyer-Haller- President of the CBB Board.
The CBB set a record with a 260+ person crowd. The annual dinner is held to recognize those people who give so selflessly to the community by giving blood. Those who were honored have all met a Milestone in blood donations: 5,10,15, 20 and so on up to 95 gallons were honored. Donor Chair People (those who coordinate blood drives at their place of business or other community location) were also recognized for their efforts to keep the local blood supply safe.
In 2007, over 10,000 local patients in Northwest Pennsylvania and Western New York received blood and blood products from the generous donors to the Community Blood Bank.
Give To Get Away promotion winner...
Congratulations to...
Karen Pease from Wellsville NY
Karen is tentatively planning two trips with her prize, one to visit Yankee stadium in New York City before it is replaced in 2009 and also to Albuquerque New Mexico for a balloon rally...more
Wal-Mart employees donate...
The West-side Wal-Mart recently donated $885 to the Community Blood Bank through "Volunteerism Matters," a grant that recognizes volunteerism throughout the company. Wal-Mart employees donated at five blood drives hosted by the store during 2007. The Community Blood Bank will use the money on a new ultra-crit machine, which tests iron levels in donors. From left are Eric Hosack, Wal-Mart assistant manager; Deanna Renaud, mobile drive coordinator at the Community Blood Bank; and Alice Wuenschel, blood donor chairperson for
Wal-Mart. Click here for a picture...
Husband and wife duo saves lives together!
Husband and wife team Mary and Mike Schleicher both donate platelets on Friday January 11th 2008 at the Community Blood Bank. They have been happily married for 25 years...more
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