Tag Archives: platelet donation

September 26, 2012 · 11:59 am

Donor of the Month

We are please to announce Indiana Blood Center’s Donor of the Month…

Jacqualine Guthrie of Danville, Indiana

Jacqualine is relatively new to donating, having only started in 2011. But she has made up for lost time, donating platelets 9 times from April – September.

According to Jacqualine, she started donating in honor of her mother, who is anemic.

“We would go to the hospital for her to receive blood transfusions and it struck me that other people were donating their blood for my mom,” said Jacqualine. “I just wanted to give back as a way of saying thanks to the people who have helped my mom out.”

Jacqualine primarily donates at the Avon donor center, where the blood collections identify her as a sweet girl and dedicated to Indiana Blood Center’s life-saving mission. Likewise, Jacqualine says she finds the blood technicians to be very nice and make her donating experience more enjoyable.

“I think everyone should donate blood because you never know when you might need it yourself,” said Jacqualine.

Follow Jacqualine’s lead and help save lives by Raising Your Sleeve. Make an appointment today at DonorPoint.org.

Get Lucky Season Ticket Giveaway

Thanks to all who participated in Indiana Blood Center – Get Lucky Season Ticket Giveaway. 535 people participated in Indiana Blood Center’s giveaway by donating platelets at least four times in three months. Winners were identified through a random drawing

Fourth Place Winners: All 535 donors that kept four platelet appointments received 2,500 DonorPoint points

Third Place Winners: 25 autographed Colts mini-helmets and team 2012 yearbook

3 Avon donors

2 Carmel donors

1 Columbus donor

1 Fishers donor

2 Greenwood donors

5 Indianapolis donors

5 Lafayette donors

2 Muncie donors

1 Mounds Mall donor

3 Terre Haute donors

Second Place Winners: One hour, three hole golf challenge at the Colts complex for six individuals and their guests

2 Carmel donors

1 Fishers donor

2 Greenwood donors

1 Indianapolis donor

First Place Winners: 2 Apple iPads

1 Carmel donor

1 Terre Haute donor

Grand Prize Winner: A pair of 2012 Indianapolis Colts season tickets

Chris Selvage, Indianapolis!!!

Chris with his Colts season tickets

Congratulations, Chris!

Meet Chris Selvage, a Fishers resident who began donating whole blood in 1986 as a way to give back to his community.

In May 2009, Chris learned about the importance of platelets when his mom discovered she had a low platelet count. After this discovery, Chris made a switch and began donating platelets.

Chris has made donating platelets part of his routine, donating every few weeks in order to “fulfill his role.”

Chris’s dedication to the lifesaving cause of donating platelets has provided him with a reward he never could have imagined.

“I was shocked when I heard I’d won,” said Chris. “I thought I might get ‘lucky’ with some of the other prizes, but didn’t think I would win the BIG one. I will admit it was difficult to focus at work the rest of the day.”

While Chris enjoys some of the perks that come with donating blood, what really motivates Chris to donate is his desire to do something for others.

“As Americans, we are proud of our troops that defend our country and save lives,” said Chris. “But shouldn’t we do something to be proud of ourselves? You can save lives too and you don’t have to enlist in the army to do so. A little poke in the arm is all it takes.”

Join Chris by Raising Your Sleeve. Make an appointment today at DonorPoint.org.

And the Winner Is…

Thanks to all who participated in the Super Donor Super Ticket Giveaway.

539 people participated in Indiana Blood Center’s raffle by donating platelets at least four times in the last three months.

In all, there were nearly 5,000 platelet procedures in the three months. The number of transfuseable units from those donations number of 10,000 units.

Winners were identified through a random drawing.

Third Place Winners: All 539 donors that kept four platelet appointments received 2,500 DonorPoint points.

Second Place Winners: 20 autographed Colts mini-helmets.

1 Avon donor
4 Carmel donors
1 Columbus donor
2 Fishers donors
2 Greenwood donors
6 Indianapolis donors
2 Lafayette donors
1 Muncie donor
1 Terre Haute donor

First Place Winners: 3 Apple iPads

2 Greenwood donors
1 Terre Haute donor

Grand Prize Winner: A pair of tickets to the 2012 Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Stadium

Grand Prize

Carol Sikler, Lafayette!!!

: Carol and her daughter, Cammie, wearing their homemade Super Donor t-shirts

Congratulations, Carol!

Carol started donating platelets in 2001 after her husband became ill and required platelets for survival.

Carol’s husband had a colon disease that required about 70 units of blood during one hospital stay. Carol vowed to replace all the units he had lost.

Her husband passed away in 2003 from the disease. Carol has donated platelets consistently since her husband became ill in the fall of 2000.

She is a self-described cheerleader of Indiana Blood Center and its mission.

Carol’s 16-year-old daughter, Camaran, became a first-time blood donor last month “because her dad would want her to”.

Carol had no idea her platelet donations were putting her in a drawing to win Super Bowl tickets. She was just doing what she always did – donating to save a life.

To date, Carol has logged 143 visits to give either whole blood or platelets to Indiana Blood Center – averaging one visit per month.

Stay tuned for more updates on Carol and her daughter Cammie’s 2012 Super Bowl experience…

1 Comment

Filed under Donor Story, Promotions

Tagged as 2012 Super Bowl tickets, Carol Sikler, Indiana Blood Center, platelet donation, platelet donation contest, platelet promotion, platelets, super donor super ticket giveaway

January 26, 2012 · 5:58 pm

Super Donor Super Ticket Giveaway

Do you donate blood? What about platelets? What are platelets you wonder?

PLATELETS

Platelets are the “yellow stuff” in our blood, small cell fragments that help control bleeding. They are needed by many types of patients, including those undergoing cancer treatment, bone marrow or organ transplants, trauma procedures or open heart surgeries.

During a platelet donation, only platelets are taken; remaining blood components are returned to the donor. This is why you can donate platelets every 2 weeks compared to every 56 days for whole blood donations. Donating platelets, you are receiving your oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

Many factors are contributing to fewer platelets being available for local Indiana hospitals. Although nearly 3,000 dedicated Indiana Blood Center platelet donors donate each year, nearly 30% donate only once.

More donors are needed to share the load, so efforts have been put in place to expand the donor base, while also making strides to increase the current donor frequency.

PROMOTION

These efforts include a platelet donation contest designed to engage and reward former, current, and future platelet donors to help increase donations. We named this contest The Super Donor Super Ticket Giveaway.

From October 15th through January 15th each donor that scheduled and kept four platelet appointments (during this designated period) was qualified for one entry into a raffle.

PRIZES

Third Place Prize: All donors that kept four platelet appointments to receive 2,500 DonorPoint points

Second Place Prize: 1 of 20 autographed Colts mini-helmets

First Place Prize: 1 of 3 Apple iPads

The Grand Prize: A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE 2012 SUPER BOWL AT LUCAS OIL STADIUM

RESULTS

539 people participated in Indiana Blood Center’s raffle by donating platelets at least four times in the last three months.

In all, there were nearly 5,000 platelet procedures in the three months. The number of transfuseable units from those donations number of 10,000 units.

Stay tuned… tomorrow we will be announcing our grand prize winner. And while you are waiting, feel free to make an appointment to donate platelets by going to DonorPoint.org