12 December 2012 Edition - Fiddlehead Focus

Page 16
Fiddlehead Focus, December 12, 2012
‘Tis the season, donors give 47 pints of blood
By Julie Daigle
FORT KENT – On Tuesday,
Dec. 4, the St. John Vianney
parish and the Red Cross coordinated
one of the two yearly Fort
Kent-based blood drives they
sponsor, which included free
Subway sandwiches as part of
the Red Cross' reward for donors'
generosity.
The organizations held the
drive at the Lonesome Pines ski
trails lodge. The Lonesome
Pines' board donates the use of
the lodge for this public service,
and volunteers provide all the
local assistance to the Red
Cross.
The Social Justice and Peace
Commission of the St. John Vianney
parish has been working
with the Red Cross to coordinate
this effort for nine years, said
member Laura Audibert, who
chairs the initiative.
The Commission provides
assistance in the form of staffing
for registration and the canteen
table, providing reading materials,
donor coordination and escort,
securing the location for
the blood drive, and making
certain tables and chairs are
available, among other tasks.
The Red Cross handles publicity
and the technical aspects of the
blood drive, including set up.
Although the Red Cross and
parish held the blood drive
shortly after a blood drive occurred
at Northern Maine Medical
Center, the effort gained the
Red Cross 47 units of blood,
very nearly completing the
drive's goal of acquiring 51
units.
Audibert said, “We did well.”
Donors are only able to donate
once every 56 days, so turn-out
at the event was lower than the
organizations originally anticipated.
On the other hand, she said, it
may have “worked out better for
the donor,” since those donating
had a very short waiting period
before they could give blood.
Approximately 80 people usually
attend the regular events.
“We have very dedicated donors,”
said Audibert.
Subway's donation is part of
the company's effort to help
support the Red Cross during the
month of December, said Audibert.
Audibert sees the involvement
of the parish in the blood drive as
part of their mission to help provide
for those in need.
“It's a form of public service,”
she said.
“And it doesn't cost anybody
anything, other than time,” she
added, referring to the donors'
involvement. Donors were able to
give blood in memory or in support
of a specific person, if they
chose, and the Church will publish
their donation in their bulletin.
Although their donation of blood
cannot be directed to a specific
person, it nevertheless allows participants
to make the donation
more personal.
“It gives people another reason
to come,” she said.
The next blood drive the St.
John Vianney parish and the Red
Cross will coordinate is scheduled
for Monday, July 15, at the Lonesome
Pines lodge.
WINTER BLOOD DRIVE - George Dumond, left, smiles as he donates
a unit of blood at the recent St. John Vianney parish and Red
Cross coordinated blood drive that occurred at the Lonesome Pines Ski
Lodge, above, in Fort Kent on Tuesday, Dec. 4. - Julie Daigle image