Clinton Township Blood Drive Draws 290 Pints for Red Cross

Collecting 290 pints of blood over two days, the 14th annual Clinton Township Community Blood Drive fell short of its goal, but may well save some 800 lives this year.

Held March 12-13, the drive is a community effort, made possible by two dozen local sponsors and countless residents who volunteer their time to man the six donation sites that make this one of the region’s largest drives serving the Red Cross.

A total of 362 would-be donors took part in this year's event.

“Every year, for whatever reason, there are people who are unable to donate,” said Bill Sowerby, township treasurer and event founder. “That is characteristic of any drive.”

While some donors may only be able to give a partial pint, others will find health issues such as anemia or blood pressure prevent them from donating. However, a growing issue is the travel history of potential donors, Sowerby said.

“We found that and more people are taking cruises, and there are new Caribbean island locations that if you travel there, for one reason or another, you can’t give blood,” he added. “I encountered a number of people who were unable to donate for that reason.”

Although the drive didn’t make its goal, Sowerby said it was no less a success thanks to the efforts of community volunteers, local businesses and area funny man, Rosco the Clown.

“Speaking on behalf of those organizers from Chippewa Valley, Clintondale, L’Anse Creuse, as well as all the different volunteers that participated, this drive would not be successful without their cooperation,” Sowerby said. “The board of trustees, township personnel and all the financial sponsors that contributed … this is a collaborative effort. It’s expensive and time-consuming, but we all come together for a great cause – saving lives by collecting pints.”

In addition to giving blood, donors also had an opportunity at this year's event to honor an active-duty, disabled or veteran Michigan military person by signing and sending a specially designed card of thanks for their service.

“We had a lot of people who filled out the cards and we’ve collected them and will be passing them on to active armed forces personnel as well as disabled veterans,” Sowerby said.