By NALANI BEVER
Wilton blood-drive coordinator
On behalf of the Wilton Community Blood Drive and the Brookwood High School FFA, I want to thank the donors who attended our joint drives the past year.
The American Red Cross provided a scholarship, which was based on units collected at the blood drives, to the Brookwood FFA. In case you missed it, the scholarship award this year came to $3,000. We want to continue this partnership and are asking for your help by attending as many drives during this upcoming school year, which for scholarship purposes begins with the June 5, 2021, drive.
We recognize this upcoming weekend will be busy with the Monroe County Dairy Breakfast, the DNR free fishing weekend, and the blood drive. What an opportunity to develop or work on your multitasking skills! Organize, prioritize, schedule, implement. Start your day at the dairy breakfast, schedule your blood donation for mid-morning, and finally relax at the fishing pond in the afternoon.
Please take the time to donate blood this Saturday, June 5, at the Wilton Community Center. You may make an appointment online (redcrossblood.org) by using the sponsor code FFA. You may also feel free to contact Nalani Bever at (608) 387-2311 to assist you in making an appointment. The drive times are from 7–11:30 a.m. We will blend folks into the schedule who walk in, but appointments are encouraged. We know folks like to schedule early mornings, but those appointment times fill up pretty fast, so think about organizing your day around your later morning blood appointment.
Donors who have been vaccinated will not be required to wear face masks. We are not asking to see your vaccination card, but trust that if you have not been vaccinated, you will wear a face mask. The Red Cross will continue testing all blood product donations for Covid-19 antibodies. If a donation tests positive, the plasma from the blood donation may be processed into a convalescent plasma product, which may help current coronavirus patients battling the virus.
Did you know that cancer patients use more blood than patients fighting any other disease? Cancer patients facing treatment also are facing unprecedented challenges due to Covid-19, and so is the nation’s blood supply. By donating at our joint drive, you will not only help with the scholarship fund, but also help ensure blood products are readily available for those in need of care. The American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society are encouraging donors to Give Blood to Give Time.