Blood banks avoid shortages

SARAH JACKSON THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Monday, March 11, 2002

OLYMPIA -- Officials with the American Red Cross and Western Washington's Puget Sound Blood Center say the effects of Sept. 11 on their organizations are continuing.

And in this case, that's mostly a good thing.

Kay Walters, executive director for the Thurston Mason County Chapter of the American Red Cross in Olympia, said the chapter's class participation has increased 25 percent over last year.

"Volunteer interest continues to be higher than before," Walters said. "Blood drives that we have had since Sept. 11 have definitely had an increased participation -- up at least 30 percent from previous to Sept. 11."

Financially speaking, however, the chapter's operating budget is down more than 27 percent from last year, and the local Disaster Relief Fund budget -- which is used to help victims of local disasters such as fires -- has been expended for 2002.

That's why this year, the Real Heroes Breakfast on May 2 will be a key fund-raiser for the chapter.

Keith Warnack, spokesman for Puget Sound Blood Center, which controls nine centers in Western Washington, including Olympia's center, said blood donations are up slightly.

While the centers must still call donors to remind them to give blood every few months, centers haven't experienced critical blood shortages which are usually common during January and February.

Warnack said the system picked up 3,000 new donors during the week of Sept. 11 and already 45 percent of those donors have made more appointments.

"I still think blood donation is more at the forefront than it was prior to Sept. 11," Warnack said. "We went right through the holiday season without any serious shortages of blood."

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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