State's largest blood drive has cheer, pizza and good will

Source: The Wisconsin State JournalDec.mini storage 25--Somehow, in the aftermath of a snowstorm, family made it to Debra Sheen Horton's house in Janesville on Sunday to celebrate Christmas.That's where Sheen Horton, 59, received the hat she proudly wore Tuesday at the 28th annual American Red Cross blood drive for the Badger/Hawkeye Blood Services Region. On a day when Santa and elf hats dotted Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center, Sheen Horton's green and white crocheted Christmas tree hat stood out."It's a white elephant gift from my son. We had Christmas early and we're free today, so why not," she said when asked about her 45-minute drive to Madison to give blood.She wasn't alone.The Christmas Eve collection is the largest blood drive in the state and, since 1996, has yielded more than 19,000 pints of blood. The event collects more than 600 pints of blood a year with the help of 150 volunteers and 80 Red Cross employees. By comparison, a typical blood drive can collect anywhere from 20 to 50 pints of blood while the blood drive in the atrium of Lambeau Field in October netted 309 pints, according to Brian Gomez, a spokesman for the Red Cross."At the end of the day, people walk away with a warm, fuzzy feeling," Gomez said.Warm fuzzies were in demand Tuesday as the day began at 9 degrees below zero and by noon had reached just 5 degrees.Inside the spacious hall, 60 reclining donation beds were in place, and snacks used to replenish donors looked more like a catered buffet. Instead of cheese spreads, crackers and juice, the offerings included pizza from Rocky Rococo's and Pizzeria Uno and pies from Hubbard Avenue Diner in Middleton, a迷你倉 well as hot dogs, bagels, cake, plates of Christmas cookies and oranges.But it wasn't just whole blood that was collected. There were 16 beds used exclusively to collect high-octane red cells typically given to cancer and trauma patients and premature infants. The process, which takes about 30 minutes compared with the 15 minutes for whole blood, returns plasma and platelets to the donor, said nurse Cherie Reed.Keith Ketterer was at the blood drive for his eighth or ninth time giving red cells, which count as two units of blood."We come every time they have this event without fail," said Ketterer, 44, of Madison. "It's part of the holiday tradition."There were other familiar faces, too.Jim Erickson, a staple at Louisianne's restaurant in Middleton and in Mitch Henck's Big Show Band , played Christmas songs on a black grand piano for his 18th year. Brian Whitty, a trombonist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, took his turn on the ivory keys for the seventh year in a row.Ronda Richards, 69, was there, too, with her husband, Bob Ley. It was 13 years ago that she needed more than 40 blood transfusions in six months during her battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. So last year she and Ley came and thanked donors at the drive. "It was very rewarding," she said. "We'll do it for years to come."Ed Sirkoski, 73, has donated three gallons of blood since starting in 1998."It's just the time of the year to do it," he said. "They have a need for it."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at .wisconsinstatejournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉