Local Heroes To Be Honored At Special Reception

TRAVERSE CITY (April 30, 2007): With quiet heroism, hundreds of people from Northwest Michigan acted as lifesavers last year ­– an achievement that will be recognized at the “Evening of Thanks” reception hosted by Michigan Community Blood Centers at 6 p.m. on May 3, 2007 at Central United Methodist Church, 222 Cass Street, Traverse City. Guests of honor will include blood drive chairpersons and sponsors, volunteers, Board members, multi-gallon blood donors, and business and institutional supporters of the Blood Center.

“All of these people regularly help make a lifesaving difference in communities all over this region,” said Ann Dasin, Blood Center recruiter. “Their efforts as individuals and as a group help us achieve our mission, which is to meet 100% of the blood needs for local hospitals. Evening of Thanks is a way to recognize their contributions and let them know how much they mean to the wellbeing of this area.”

Featured speakers at the event will be Lori Cole, morning host on 106.7 WSRT radio in Traverse City; and Nicholas Newman, a blood recipient.

Although radio broadcasting is Lori’s profession, one of her deep concerns is raising awareness of the need for blood donation. She will talk to Evening of Thanks guests about her personal experiences as a blood donor, and when family members needed blood. Nicholas, now a college sophomore, needed blood as a child. At the age of 4, he was stricken with leukemia. He will talk about how blood transfusions helped him survive the intensive treatment necessary to combat cancer.

Also speaking will be Sharron Zimmerman, operations manager for Michigan Community Blood Centers in northwest Michigan; Philip Knapp, Blood Center Board chair; and Sharon Childs, who manages donor services for all mobile blood drives and permanent donation centers in this region of the state.

A nonprofit blood bank, Michigan Community Blood Centers in Northwest Michigan collects blood in Antrim,  Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, and Osceola counties to provide 100 percent of the regular blood supply for hospitals in those counties, including all Munson Health System facilities, West Shore Medical Center in Manistee, and Spectrum Health-Reed City Campus. Across the state, Michigan Community Blood Centers is the sole provider of blood for hospitals in four major regions with a combined population of more than 1.5 million.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers