Press Release Bloodxd Luncheon!

Mercer County 909 E. Wayne St. Suite 124 Celina, Ohio 45822

Phone 419-586-2201 Fax 419-586-2499 [email protected]

On Tuesday, October 28th, The Mercer County American Red Cross hosted their Annual Blood Drive Coordinator’s Luncheon. In attendance were Lela Siebert, Marilyn Frahm, Pat Brookhart, Marge Homan, Susan Sheppard, Jerry Siefring, & Anna Garman. After enjoying a meal prepared by office volunteers; Judy Neitfeld, Billie Engle, & Bev Sanning, Deb Hemmelgarn, Executive Director of the Mercer County Chapter thanked the Blood Drive Coordinators for their commitment to the American Red Cross and to saving lives. Deb Hemmelgarn stated “Our coordinators spend many hours preparing for the drives as well as spending a lot of time at their drive. Because of their dedication, our drives in Mercer County are successful. Also thank you to all of our awesome & dedicated blood donors and volunteers. Having all of you is what makes the American Red Cross such a great organization! Thank you very much.” ,Dianne Dunfe and Alicia Smith representing Ohio & Indiana Blood Services Region were also in attendance to provide the Chairperson’s with Regional updates and to thank them for their volunteerism. They also announced the award recipients from the American Red Cross Blood Services, Indiana-Ohio Region’s 2008 Annual Update and Recognition Luncheon on October 2, 2008. Outstanding Blood Donor Award Donors who had a combination of high donation frequencies in fiscal year 2008 and high lifetime donations. This year’s recipient for Mercer County was: Michael Thobe(lifetime units 135 & FY08 frequency: 7) Faithful Friend Award ~ (those sponsors that can always be counted on to jump in or follow through in the event of scheduling conflicts and to create a plan to increase participation of their blood drive. This year’s recipients were Coldwater High School & Marion Local High School Growing By Leaps & Bounds Award Went to ~Burkettsville Shelter House The Burkettsville volunteers’ dedication and hardwork has resulted in a 173% more blood collections from 2007 to 2008 The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.