Category Archives: Coordinator Corner

September 14, 2011 · 9:30 am

Desire to Help in a Small Way

Indiana Blood Center Field Representative, Kari Fletcher, asked Boston Scientific’s blood drive coordinator, Debi McLeod:

Why do you host blood drives for Indiana Blood Center?

I got started by accident, as part of the wellness committee here at work. That was 15 years ago, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

I first donated in high school and decided then and there that donating blood was a great way to share a renewable resource that has no synthetic substitute. When I got the opportunity to coordinate for the plant, it was just an extension of my own desire to help in some small way. 

I have not been able to donate for quite some time now, but being the coordinator has allowed me to stay involved with this worthy activity.

Boston Scientific Spencer has been very supportive of our efforts to contribute to the blood supply in Central Indiana, and I couldn’t have done this for so long without that support.

Indiana Blood Center thanks Debi for her dedication and efforts she puts forth to coordinate blood drives at Boston Scientific Spencer.

Want to host a blood drive with Indiana Blood Center? Click here to find a local Indiana Blood Center contact.

Already host blood drives with us? Click here to find all the tools you will need to host a successful blood drive.

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September 7, 2011 · 9:30 am

Elementary School Blood Drives: Seeing the Bigger Picture

Don’t worry—we aren’t collecting blood donations from elementary age students now.

But every elementary student has an adult guardian. And every elementary student will eventually reach an Indiana high school where Indiana Blood Center will come for their blood drive.

As part of the Help a Hoosier Service Learning Project with the Indianapolis Colts, elementary and middle school students can learn about the importance of blood donation, what a blood center’s role in their community is and how transfusions work.

While too young to donate blood, elementary and middle school students can share the information they learn and encourage those who are eligible to participate in a community blood drive held at the school.

Learning resources free of charge for participating schools:

  • A visit to Indiana Blood Center’s main collection and testing facility in Indianapolis (3450 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208).
  • A visit to the school by Indiana Blood Center’s medical director to share a presentation geared to students about blood and blood donation.
  • Web access to My Blood, Your Blood, an award-winning science education program that teaches about the amazing journey of blood in our bodies.

When a student has an adult show up to the school blood drive to donate for them they receive a certificate of recognition from Indiana Blood Center and the Indianapolis Colts.

With these Help a Hoosier elementary blood drives we hope it helps debunk myths and fears about donating blood. Students can look up to adults who donate and look forward to doing the same once they reach high school.

To learn more about hosting an elementary school blood drive, find an Indiana Blood Center Field Representative near you.

Check out the short video below of local Spring Mill Elementary’s first blood drive!

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August 9, 2011 · 9:30 am

Seeing the First-Hand Importance of Blood Donations

Indiana Blood Center Field Representative, Judy Helminger, asked  Cornerstone Baptist Academy’s blood drive coordinator, Anita Dorsett:

Why is being a blood drive coordinator for Indiana Blood Center important to you? 

Indiana Blood Center came to Cornerstone Baptist Academy several years ago asking if the school wanted to participate in a donation program that could potentially benefit the school by recruiting donors.

As the school decided to get involved in the program I was asked to be the coordinator as the school secretary. I gladly accepted the position seeing first-hand the importance of blood donations.

When I first began, my late husband had been fighting Multiple Myeloma for a few years and had needed a few blood transfusions. During the last nine months or so of his fight with cancer he was receiving approximately two blood transfusions a week, and several platelet transfusions.*

“If it was not for the very generous donations of others, my children would not had the opportunity to spend those last several months with their father.”

I am no longer employed at Cornerstone Baptist Academy, but remain the coordinator for the blood drives because of the importance of donating blood. Yes, donating blood benefits the school through the amazing incentive programs Indiana Blood Center offers, but donating blood and being involved is so much more than that.

Not every person is a suitable donor so it is my goal to let those who “can” donate understand the importance and that they really do have someone’s “undying gratitude” each time they donate.

*Most of his transfusions were received at the Central Indiana Cancer Center and Community North Hospital.

Indiana Blood Center thanks Anita for her dedication and efforts she puts forth to coordinate blood drives at Cornerstone Baptist Academy.

Want to host a blood drive with Indiana Blood Center? Click here to find a local Indiana Blood Center contact.

Already host blood drives with us? Click here to find all the tools you will need to host a successful blood drive.

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July 28, 2011 · 9:30 am

How to Effectively Coordinate a High School Blood Drive

An Equation for Success:  How to Effectively Coordinate a High School Blood Drive

Did you know that 30 percent of all the blood collected from organizations in Indiana is from high school blood drives? 

If you are a person who coordinates blood drives at your high school and you have been looking for ways to increase participation, you have found the right blog post. 

The key to growing your high school blood drive is doing as much preparation ahead of time to ensure a great turnout. And trying to think like a high-schooler doesn’t hurt either!

Below are a few ideas to help increase participation in your high school blood drive.

  1. Making a “blood drive sign-up packet” for each space on the sign-up sheet could prove very useful to ensuring a good turnout. Each packet could contain a reminder appointment card, a 16-year-old consent form and a blood donation fact sheet for each student to take home to his or her parent.
  2. Three weeks ahead of time, get into the lunch room and start signing kids up! Have your students man a table in the lunch room and take around the sign-up sheet to every table until the sign-up sheet is filled up. A full sign-up sheet equates to a successful blood drive.
  3. Require that the 16-year-old consent forms be returned two weeks before the blood drive is scheduled to happen. If a student does not return his or her consent form by the due date, have an alternate student take their place on the sign-up sheet.
  4. Ask the school office for an up-to-date roster and a yearbook from last year (this is where thinking like a kid comes into play); many students will forget their ID the day of the drive and if you provide a roster and a year book we can cross reference the two and allow students who forgot their ID to donate blood.

The earlier you can get commitments from students while having a plan B when that doesn’t work out, the better.

Preparation + determination for a full sign-up sheet + plan B = one very successful high school blood drive

If you are a blood drive coordinator please visit indianablood.org/coordinator for all the resources you need to achieve a successful blood drive.

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July 14, 2011 · 9:30 am

I Recruit Donors Because I Cannot Give Myself

Indiana Blood Center Field Representative, Courtney Adkins, asked Memorial Home Care blood drive coordinator, Jan Parr,

Why Do You Coordinate Blood Drives?  

At the age of 34, I was suddenly diagnosed with Acute Myelocytic Leukemia, a very rare form, and given a 20% chance of survival. During my 3 month hospital stay, I had 42 transfusions and received platelets as well for much of the time. That is why I am passionate about coordinating my company’s blood drives! 

“I would not be here today if not for generous, anonymous donors who wanted to do something wonderful for someone they didn’t even know.” 

I recruit donors because I myself cannot give. If you choose – you can save lives without really doing anything but sitting back in a comfy chair and feeling a little prick. Then you eat your cookies and think to yourself…I just saved 3 lives!!!

Indiana Blood Center thanks Jan for her dedication and efforts she puts forth to coordinate blood drives at Memorial Home Care.

Want to host a blood drive with Indiana Blood Center? Click here to find a local Indiana Blood Center contact.

Already host blood drives with us? Click here to find all the tools you will need to host a successful blood drive.

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