Kaywyn J. Beswick, R.N./ARC Morrison Community Blood Program Leader, submitted this report.
The American Red Cross Morrison Community Blood Drive was held on Thursday,
July 17, 2025, at Morrison United Methodist Church; the Methodists were the sponsor of the canteen. Unfortunately, the ARC had two staff persons call off, so instead having seven staff working, they only had five. Those five ladies were phenomenal! They worked so diligently, and while the drive ran a little behind, it ran as smooth as silk. I am always amazed at how courteous, friendly, and happy the staff are, despite being short-staffed. We are so grateful for their professionalism and eagerness to work hard!
Our tremendous canteen sponsors always make enough goodies to include the ARC staff. Some places they go, nothing is given to them to eat or drink. Those Methodists who assisted throughout the day and bought, prepared, and served delicious sandwiches and yummy cookies, muffins, sweetbreads, and bars were Carole Patton, Jean Tichler, Pat Bramm, and Pat Popkin.
The usual volunteers that helped by escorting donors from the loungers to the canteen table were Pam Jones and Rick Barr; thank you, for being faithful and dependable escorts.
Left-to-right are Rick Barr, Carole Patton, Pat Popkin, Jack Jones, Lory Oudekerk, and Bryan Vogel.
Our Certified ARC Volunteers that man the registration desk and make future appointments for the next blood drive were–and almost always are–Irma Russell and Pat Pendgraft. I appreciate you two ladies and your dutiful devotion.
The ARC goal for the day was 62, but they asked me to try to achieve 70. Unfortunately,
there was a lot of sickness (sore throats, sinus infections, fevers, coughs) plaguing the
area, so we had 13 cancellations and five “no-shows” (almost 20% of the scheduled
appointments that day.) I am glad when people who are ill do not come in, because the
ARC would defer them anyway. When you are ill, stay home. There ended up being 50
generous people, giving of their time and blood products, who came through our doors. Out of those 50, 39 folks (78%!) used the Rapid Pass to streamline the time that the history questions take. Fifty-one good units (only 77% efficiency) went out the door to hospitals.
We had seven donating double red cells/Power Reds, totaling 12 units; they were Tom
Demay, Jack Jones, Larry Oudekerk, Larry Sonberg, Mel Johnson, Ron Shank, and Jill
Vegter. Thank you all for being “twice as nice,” as the ARC sticker says!
Forty-four whole blood donors came to help save up to three lives apiece. They were Nancy Bartels (donating in honor of Russ Ottens), Penny Milnes, Pam Shank, Duane Imel, Lyle Bush, Deb Adolph, Bryan Vogel, Lory Oudekerk, Julie Damhoff (donating in memory of Jason Damhoff), Cathy Downs, Toni Decker, Randy Kuehl, Renee Vanderlaan, Joan Vander Bleek, Joyce Hamstra, Vaughn Maxfield, Stephanie Vavra (donating in memory of Frank Vavra), Dale Beswick, Carolyn Aiken, Erin Poirier, Jenna Landheer, Ray Hagar, Beth Wroble, Nancy Shank, Lisa Boles, Sheila Sonberg, Pam Jones, Ken Gooley, Gerald Schultz, Troy Peppers, Kari Forster, Bard Bielema, Julie Brown, Ken Stewart, Timothy West, Kelly Smith, Dave Temple, Connie Swanson DeSpain, and five others (3 men and 2 women) who did not want their names published.
In order to attempt to offset the shortage of blood, this month the ARC offered
gift cards to O+ and O- donors. The whole blood O donors received a $20 gift card to a merchant of their choice. Double red cells O donors received a $25 gift card to the merchant of their choice. We had 21 donors who have O blood type (42% of our donors that day) who were gifted these cards. The ARC was also offering a free Fandango Movie Ticket by email, to all donors who came in through July 31.
First-time donor Kathy Murray came in with her friend, Nancy Bartels. Thank you, Kathy, for joining the ranks and becoming a regular blood donor! There were six donors who reached gallon pin milestones. They were Lisa Boles, one-gallon pin; Sheila Sonberg, two-gallon pin; Bryan Vogel, three-gallon pin; Jill Vegter, four-gallon pin; Nancy Shank, nine-gallon pin; Beth Wroble, ten-gallon pin! These six people together gave 39 gallons and have saved over 484 lives!
The next blood drive will be Thursday, September 11, at St. Mary Church on Garden Plain Road, with Wa-Tan-Ye sponsoring the canteen. During that blood drive, I will give gift cards to those established donors who bring in someone who has never donated. If the new donor gives a unit and signs up for the November blood drive, the established donor will receive a gift card from me! If the NEW donors give blood at the Thursday, November 13 blood drive, and sign up for and donates at the January drive, they will receive a gift card. This is to incentivize donors to come in with new donors and get them established as regular donors!
Also, at the September 11 blood drive, to celebrate 75 years of Peanuts comic strip, the ARC will be give Peanuts T-shirts to all donors that give blood that day!
Last, but not least, a Columbia coat was left at the United Methodist Church way back
on March 20. We thought that it belonged to an ARC staff person, but nobody working that day claimed it. If you can identify it, I will get it to you. Feel free to contact me through Facebook Messenger, or text or call me on my cell phone; the number is 815-718-5117.
Please know that I have no control over what date the blood drives land on; the ARC
chooses when they come to Morrison. With one every eight weeks, that is 48 weeks, which leaves four weeks of “play,” to move the drive to a later date. I coordinate six blood drives throughout the 52-week calendar year, one every eight-to-ten weeks. Some drives are eight weeks apart, and some drives are ten weeks apart. If you always give at my drives, you will have to skip one drive a year, because of how the calendar falls. For example, if your birthday is a Tuesday this year, next year it will land on a Wednesday; that is just the nature of the beast. Leap Day every four years throws another wrench into it: then your birthday will be on a Thursday. If you do not want to skip a month, there are several other blood drives in the area, within a few days of mine. Just go onto the Blood Donor App, or on the website, www.redcross.org to find one near you.
I very much appreciate all those who donate, volunteer, sponsor canteens, provide cookies and groceries, and give me words of encouragement and physical and emotional support. I’ve been doing this for 16 years, and I hope to do it for 16 more, God willing!
Have a safe rest of the summer. I will look for you at St. Mary Catholic Church on Thursday, September 11.