We Got Your Blood

The beautiful bloodmobile bus outside Kesher

Thank you to everyone who came by & contributed, or even tried to contribute, blood on Sunday January 18th!  Our first blood drive help at Kesher Israel was a success with 27 donations.  We had a rough start as in the first 2 hours 9 of our scheduled donors were deemed invalid.  The blood donation has very strict requirements with travel being a major one.  Not since a blood drive at the Peace Corp did they have to turn away so many!  And not just the unusuals (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, rural Mexico) but also recent winter visits to the Caribbean including Puerto Rico!  They are tough.  But they need to protect every child receiving blood so they take no chances.

Our fabulous CNMC team!

Ben Donvan donates after returning from Chicago!  Windy City is ok

Olivia Jia makes the sacrifice!  And before a college interview!

   Our first acceptable donors were the Wheelers!  Well Margot & Aaron were helper donors, while Jeff did the hard stuff.

Team at work with the Wheeler family!

With so many early donors rejected, we began to email, call, tweet to get new donors to come by.  A good day is 14 donors.  But a good day is Monday-Friday.  The bloodmobile does not usually go out on Sundays.  Having a full staff aboard, we needed to make certain it was worth their Sunday.   We had hoped for 30, but at the end of the day had 27 which was still great!  At times we got so crowded it was like a cocktail party in there.  

For the downside, one neighbor complained.  Several times.  The noise of the generator was too loud he said.  Seriously?  It sounds like a bus idling.  And it is saving lives.  This neighbor actually asked if the generator could be turned off.  Well, sure if you want the blood to spoil as there would be no refrigeration.     

Our next drive is April 27th at Sidwell Friends.  Followed by a return engagement at Kesher on May 3rd.  Thank you again to all the Kesherites & Georgetown neighbors who came out for this!