ImpactLife Donor Appreciation Night WITH the QC Storm
Turns out hockey fans make great blood donors!
Last December, we teamed up with the QC Storm, a professional hockey club in the Quad Cities, for a series of blood drives called "Out for Blood," offering donors two tickets to a Storm game and a limited-edition t-shirt in exchange for a successful donation.
Storm fans showed up in a big way. All told, 89 donors rolled up their sleeves, including 22 who gave blood for the very first time. First-time donors are especially meaningful to our mission because every new donor is a potential lifelong one.
Last Saturday, we joined the Storm for a fan and donor appreciation night to celebrate what that community pulled off together. A great partnership, a packed house, and 22 new donors who now know they have the power to save lives.
ANSWERING THE CALL: MARCH 1ST BERC ACTIVATION
When the call comes, we answer.
When a mass shooting struck Austin, Texas, in the early hours of Sunday, we were among 12 blood providers across the country called into action through the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC).
BERC exists for exactly these moments. Blood centers participating in the program collect extra units on a rotating on-call schedule so that when a large-scale emergency strikes, blood is already available and ready to ship. Our team was on call when the activation came in, and we delivered.
The units we sent help ensure that patient care in the Austin region keeps moving, whether for those injured in the shooting or anyone else in need of blood that day. That's the quiet power behind what you make possible every single week.
"FIGHTING FOR THE NEXT DAY" - Kyden Decker's Triumph Over Cancer
Because of blood donors, Kyden Decker gets to be a kid again.
Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at just 17 months old, Kyden spent months in the hospital while his parents took turns at his bedside. His mom Nikki put it simply: the meals and donations from friends meant the world, but they were not going to save her child's life. The blood products were different. That's what had the impact.
Kyden is now eight years old and five years cancer free. To celebrate, his family partners with us for a blood drive and Kyden hand-delivered personalized thank-you notes to every single donor.
We had the privilege of telling his story on video, and it is one worth watching.
CELEBRATING OUR EMPLOYEES, TODAY AND EVERY DAY
This week is Employee Appreciation Week, and we want to say it clearly: none of this works without you.
Every donation collected, every unit shipped, every patient who gets the blood they need on time, that all traces back to the people who show up here every day. The work is not glamorous every day, but it is always meaningful. And we do not take that for granted.
Thank you for being the reason our mission is more than just words on a wall.
LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS BATTLE FOR BLOOD
Three Quad Cities high schools. One trophy. And bragging rights on the line.
This March, Rock Island High School, Moline High School, and United Township are facing off in the first annual Battle for Blood Challenge, competing to see which school can collect the most blood donations. Account Manager Tori Tebbitt put this challenge together and does a great job breaking it all down in the video.
This is exactly the kind of friendly competition that builds lifelong donors. Check out the video and help spread the word. Full details at bloodcenter.org/qcbattle.