Amador County – Noting the local coordinator’s penchant for going door-to-door to publicize the Amador County Veterans Community Blood Drive, it’s no secret to account manager Stephanie Kresse that this is the county’s top blood drive.

She said Veterans Community Blood Drive coordinator, Robert Saracino goes door-to-door to deliver fliers to shops and businesses around the county. Also locally, both Amador and Argonaut high schools manage their own blood drives, and the Ione community also hosts one. Then comes the big one, every other month, the Veterans Community. All are hosted with the help of the not-for-profit BloodSource, which serves 40-plus hospitals in the greater Sacramento region.

Kresse, BloodSource account manager for the Ione and Sutter Creek blood drives, said “I think you will be pleasantly surprised that local donors cover local usage.” After gathering the numbers, she said: “Sutter Amador Hospital used 955 units (or pints) of blood in the past year,” and “in the past year your Amador County community and high school blood drives collected 1,123 units of blood.” A person can donate one unit or pint of blood each time they donate.

Kresse said other groups can also organize blood drives, adding: “Anyone in the area who wants to host a drive, I’m the one to talk to about that in this area.” She said groups need at least 40 participants.

U.C. Davis sponsors the biggest drive in the region and in a two-day drive can get 1,400 units. Sac-State and all of the community colleges sponsor drives. TV and radio stations are unique, she said, because they can ask viewers and listeners to donate. She recently helped with a two-day drive sponsored by KCRA television.

High schools sponsor drives, coordinated by students, and BloodSource offers each school one scholarship a year for $500 for a graduating senior.

The thing that gets people to donate, she said, is stories of how people survived and how donated blood saved their lives: Like a BloodSource executive who had never been touched by blood donation before. That changed when his daughter’s life was saved by donated blood after she underwent surgery on the day she was born.

The Amador County Veterans Community Blood Drive is sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8254; Disabled American Veterans Post 188; and American Legion Post 108. Their next drive is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, at American Legion Hall in Sutter Creek.

The series dates include April 2, June 4, Aug. 6, Oct. 1 and Dec. 3. Donors can check eligibility at 1(800)995-4420, and get info at (209)223-4389.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.