Blood drive generates vital resource for state

SUPERIOR – Mineral County residents went under the needle on Thursday, Aug. 21, as the Superior Community Outreach hosted an American Red Cross blood drive at the ambulance facility near Mineral Community Hospital.

The group hosts four blood drives every year in order to replenish supplies that dwindle in summer months due to higher demand. Host Mary Jo Berry said the local community has always been generous with their donations.

“We almost always meet our quota,” Berry said. “Our last blood drive that we had, we went over (the quota). The community is good about coming out. I sent a challenge out to the courthouse and they met the challenge.”

Meeting his second challenge of the week was Mineral County Sheriff-elect Tom Bauer. Bauer, who took part in the ALS ice-bucket-challenge earlier in the week to raise money for Lou Gehrig’s disease, was also on hand for the blood drive.

“I was challenged as the sheriff-elect,” Bauer said. “It’s for a good cause.”

Julie Kieckbush-Jones, account manager with the American Red Cross blood services, said blood drives such as the one in Superior were vital to restocking blood supplies in Montana. She said there is a significant need in the state for donations.

“We have an urgent need for blood products,” Kieckbush-Jones said. “This summer we were down about 80,000 units in the nation. Summer months and holidays are always a struggle. It’s harder to get donors to come in when they’re on vacations.”

Kieckbush-Jones said community blood drives were instrumental in making sure area hospitals have materials they need to save lives. She especially singled out the involvement on a local level of Berry.

“We have a great sponsor in Mary Jo,” Kieckbush-Jones said. “The small communities are very supportive. They are critical because in Montana alone, we need to collect 700 units of blood a week. We supply blood to 30 Montana hospitals. That’s just the local need.”

While she said turnout in Mineral County was helpful, Kieckbush-Jones said there was always the need for more.

She said recently, the ARC lost their sponsor in St. Regis and they are actively looking for a replacement.

“We are always looking for volunteers and sponsors,” Kieckbush-Jones said. “We are currently looking for a blood drive sponsor in St. Regis. Our former sponsor there moved away and we’d like to have one over there.”

According to their website, the American Red Cross blood services unit is the single largest supplier of blood products in the country.

The organization collects and processes more than 40 percent of the blood supply and makes sure 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers receive the life saving aid.

Anyone interested in donating blood or sponsoring a blood drive in St. Regis or other areas is encouraged to call Kieckbush-Jones at 406-327-2042 for more information.