By Tom Petersen
A record-tying 35 people came to the Puget Sound Blood Center’s mobile unit in Richmond Beach last weekend, easily pushing the drive past its goals for the year, but more importantly making a big contribution to the region’s blood supply.
The “big bus” was able to take all 16 donors with appointments, plus the 19 walk-ups that appeared throughout the day. The neighborhood hopes to get the big bus every time, to avoid having to make people wait, or worse, turn people away.
We Show Up
The Richmond Beach blood drives started six and a half years ago and turnout has always been healthy, with an average of 25 people coming to donate at each event and 20 usable pints collected.
According to PSBC, this is very good for a “neighborhood” drive – the people of Richmond Beach and adjacent communities have been showing up as reliably as donors at the more common mobile events that register everybody at a school, business, church, or civic group.
“We Show Up” will be the Richmond Beach blood drive’s theme for 2015.
100 Gallons, 1000 registrants
As anticipated, Richmond Beach collected its 100th gallon since the inception of the drive. Nadia Lorenson was the donor of the 800th pint. As of December 27, the neighborhood needed a slightly-above-average turnout to reach its next milestone, but with so many people showing up, the 1000 registrant mark fell when Maria Jeronimo came through the bloodmobile door.
Looking forward
The bloodmobile will be next be in front of the Fire Safety Center at the corner of Richmond Beach Road and 20th Ave NW on Saturday, February 21, from 10am to 4pm.
The schedule for the rest of the year is as follows:
April 25,
June 27,
August 29,
October 31, and
December 26.
Appointments to donate can be made, and information about donating blood can be found online.
They also show up
The Blood Center thanks its Richmond Beach neighborhood partners, D’z Barbershop and the Shoreline Fire Department, for all their assistance through the years, and Hill’s and Streetzeria Restaurants for being supportive neighbors.
The following businesses graciously allow blood posters in their windows or on their bulletin boards: The Little Store, Richmond Beach Coffee Co., Beach House Greetings, Cloud 9 Dry Cleaning, Richmond Beach Library, Seashore Minimart, Spin Alley, Fred Meyer, and Starbucks.
Thanks also to the Shoreline Area News, The Richmond Beach Community Association, NextDoor Richmond Beach, and PBSC area coordinator Wendy Chu.
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