KSHE Winter Blood Drive
We rocked out last weekend at the KSHE 95 Winter Blood Drive, and once again our teams and donors showed up in a big way! Across nine locations, donors rolled up their sleeves to help keep blood available for patients during the challenging holiday season. Together we collected 1,914 units, going above and beyond our goal!
We'll add to that number in the coming days. KSHE continues today in Litchfield, Illinois and Union, Missouri; on Saturday at Ted's Motorcycle World in Alton, Illinois; and next Friday, December 26 in Highland, Illinois.
This marks our 22nd KSHE Blood Drive, made possible by the hard work, coordination and dedication of teams across the region. Thank you to everyone who helped keep this long-standing tradition strong!
Check out the photo album here!
Blood donors give the best gift
Twice a year we team with WCIA 3, the CBS network affiliate in Champaign, Illinois, for the Gift of Life blood drive. It's a chance to honor former anchor Dave Benton and meteorologist/anchor Robert Reese.
Blood donors climbed aboard our bus in the station lot to give lifesaving blood. The lifesaving continues at our Urbana, Danville, Decatur, Mattoon, and Springfield centers through the holiday season.
Read about Tuesday's drive here!
100 Black Men Dayla event
Community comes to life when people show up for one another. Last Saturday, we had the chance to partner with 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis for their 42nd Anniversary DAYLA event.
Alex Fees (Manager, Community Relations) represented us at the event, building connections with community leaders and advocating for blood donation. Conversations highlighted the importance of our Red4Life program and the ongoing need for blood donations to support patients with sickle cell disease.
Our partnership with 100 Black Men extends beyond the gala. Last summer, we teamed up for a Red4Life blood drive at their headquarters on Delmar Boulevard, expanding outreach and engagement in the St. Louis community.
That work includes stories like that of Isaac Singleton, Jr., a member of 100 Black Men, a St. Louis attorney, and a sickle cell warrior. He was cured through a bone marrow transplant in 2015. During media coverage secured around the Juneteenth blood drive, he shared how blood transfusions supported him before his cure, reinforcing the lifesaving impact of blood donation.
QC Storm is Out for Blood
We're always out for blood, so teaming up with the Quad Cities Storm hockey team is a pretty great fit.
On Monday, we partnered with them for a drive at Vibrant Arena in Moline, Illinois. Blood donors had the chance to meet Storm players, hang out with Radar, and walk away with a limited-edition Out For Blood 2025 T-shirt + with a pair of tickets to an upcoming Storm game.
And we are not stopping there. We're going for the hat trick.
There are two more QC Storm blood drives happening, Dec. 22 and 23 on the "Storm Shelter" above the ice at Vibrant Arena. Learn more at www.bloodcenter.org/qcstorm.
We speak Greek
We're saving lives, college-style.
Last week, five Greek houses at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, battled it out to see which could collect the most blood.
The Phi Lambs took the top spot! It was a great example of how campus spirit and generosity can come together to make a real difference.
Front row – Kanida Boyd (Charge), Candra Updike (Charge), Addisen Santee
Back Row – Trevin Neels, Ronin Sterling, Lauren Kephart, Demetra Alexander, Caressa Trammel (Charge), and Bryan Schaeffer (Charge)
Students are kneeling in the front row. Charges noted, all other staff are Collection Specialist 1.
Campbellsport Middle-High School Blood Drive
Last Friday felt like the start of something special. We rolled into Campbellsport Middle-High School for their very first blood drive, and the energy in the building was impossible to miss! Students, staff, and community members came together, many donating for the first time, to support patients in need.
It was a strong start to what feels like the beginning of a lasting tradition of giving.
Spreading holiday cheer
Our Davenport daytime Recruitment Team brought extra cheer to their holiday party with plenty of laughs and a series of silly photos.
The lighthearted moments captured the team's personality and the fun they bring to their work every day. A great reminder that connection and joy are just as important as the work itself.