On Friday, Oct. 2, the American Red Cross Blood Services, Indiana-Ohio Region, hosted its annual meeting and recognition luncheon at the Orthopaedic Capital Center in Winona Lake. Many awards were given out, including the Outstanding Blood Donor, Outstanding Youth Volunteer, Outstanding Volunteer Service, First Time Sponsor, Faithful Friend, Creative Genius, Growing by Leaps and Bounds, Lifesaver and Sponsor Partnership Awards.
The Outstanding Blood Donor Award recognizes the individual in each county served by the Indiana-Ohio Region who had a combination of the highest donation frequency in Fiscal Year 2009 and the highest lifetime donations.
- Wendell Werner of Kouts has donated 114 units in his lifetime and seven times in the past year, was recognized for his commitment.
The Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award recognizes the young members of the community who take responsibility for the success of a blood drive in their area.
- Boys’ & Girls’ Club – Valparaiso Unit
- Boys’ & Girls’ Club – South Haven Unit
The Outstanding Volunteer Service Award recognizes the countless Red Cross volunteers who serve the community at blood drives, donation centers and local Red Cross chapters.
- Angela Fox of Valparaiso
- Dorothy Barton of Valparaiso
The First Time Sponsor Award recognizes the businesses, churches and community organizations across the Indiana-Ohio Region that held their first American Red Cross blood drive during the last year or came back after an absence of three or more years.
- Portage Christian School
The Faithful Friend Award recognizes the sponsors who have been loyal supporters of the American Red Cross. This year’s Faithful Friends agreed to have blood drives during inclement weather or holiday periods, secured volunteers to help provide excellent customer service and could be counted on to meet goals.
- Union Fire-Rescue
- First United Methodist Church of Portage
The Creative Genius Award recognizes sponsors who keep blood drives successful year after year with new ideas to grow the donor base, execute a smooth and successful drive and achieve a team approach to organizing and implementing a blood drive.
- Porter County Churches ShareFest
The Growing by Leaps and Bounds Award recognizes the blood drive sponsors who increased the units of blood donated at their blood drives by at least 25 percent or who increased the number of blood drives they hosted in the last year.
- U. S. Steel – Midwest Plant
- Nativity of Our Savior Catholic Church
- St. Teresa of Avila
- First Christian Church
The Lifesaver Award recognizes blood drive sponsors who were especially accommodating by replacing drives that had been canceled, hosting last minute drives and demonstrating flexibility when Red Cross equipment or staffing issues required their mobile dates or times to be changed.
- St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the American Red Cross Partnership Awards. The Partnership Awards recognize the invaluable work of the chapters, hospitals and sponsors that support the Indiana-Ohio Region. Their active role and faithful support in the collection of blood products helped make this year a success.
The Indiana-Ohio Region works with more than 1,600 blood drive sponsors who open their facilities and allow blood collection at their sites, take an active role in the recruitment and retention of blood donors and continue to faithfully support blood donation. Sponsors who went above and beyond in the last year were recognized with the Sponsor Partnership Award.
- U. S. Steel – Midwest Plant was the winner of this award for its strong efforts in increasing blood collections. This company allowed employees to donate on company time and invited retirees back to the plant to participate in the blood drives. The Red Cross is happy to honor the 181 percent increase in collections of this company.
The Red Cross wishes to thank the communities of Porter County for their support of blood donation.
How to Donate Blood
Individuals who are at least 17 years old (16 with parental permission in Indiana), meet height and weight requirements (at least 110 pounds based on height) and are in general good health may be eligible to donate blood. Red Cross donor card or positive ID required. Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE (1-800-448-3543) or log on IndianaOhioRedCross.org for more information.
About the American Red Cross
The Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region serves northern and central Indiana and northwestern Ohio, and needs to collect about 500 units of blood a day to meet patient need in more than 60 hospitals. In addition to providing blood to our community, the American Red Cross also provides relief to victims of disaster, trains millions in lifesaving skills, serves as a communication link between U.S. military members and their families, and assists victims of international disasters or conflicts.