There Will Be Blood

[Ron Clarke]

And not just rabbit blood on the grass...

We're trying something new this year to thank our NAFA Meet host community. Sure, we bring a lot of money and commercial traffic to town, but we'll leave something money can't buy in our wake this year -- blood! Through the cooperation of the American Red Cross Kearney chapter and the Holiday Inn, we'll have a blood donation center set up in the Meet hotel on Monday, 19 November from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Several hotel employees have already expressed interest in donating blood for our drive.

If you can't make it to the official NAFA blood drive but still want to donate, the Kearney Red Cross draws blood weekdays. Their center is at 520 West 48th Street. Hours are Monday, 12:00 to 6:00 PM, Tuesday, 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and Friday, 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. If you go to the Red Cross center, make sure you tell them you're donating for the NAFA drive.

Our goal is 40 units of blood. If you're a regular donor and want to keep up with your usual donation schedule while in Nebraska, great! If you've never donated before and want to give it a try in Kearney, join us!

Prizes? Yup. We'll have a special donors-only prize drawing at the end-of-Meet banquet.

One unit of blood can save three lives. Let's roll up our sleeves!

[echotadog]

Wow ! Great Idea and social awareness , Bravo to the organizer and the donators .

[Roper]

grate Idea Ron no surprise there .. will they take rabbit blood ?

[HawkEye]

fantastic idea. kudos to all involved.
I'd be first in line, but I'm a turnip.
So instead of wasting a needle and supplies on my pitiful veins, I'll donate treats to the donors or... any other suggestions?

[Chris L.]

Thats awesome Ron, What a great idea! I am sure you will easily reach the 40 units. Count me in for one

[Dirthawking]

Thats awesome Ron, What a great idea! I am sure you will easily reach the 40 units. Count me in for one

Wuss! Go for two! No guts no glorry right! Go big or go home!

[Dirthawking]

Does anybody know where to find the restrictions on giving? I have never given but have not been able to due to tattoos/meds.

[Tasha55403]

Sweet! I'm in Here ya go Mario
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donatin...st-time-donors

[Lowachi]

Does anybody know where to find the restrictions on giving? I have never given but have not been able to due to tattoos/meds.

I'll get back to ya

Puy me dowm for a pint of O negative

[Ron Clarke]

grate Idea Ron no surprise there .. will they take rabbit blood ?

Probably not, but just wait 'til you see our posters -- RTH blood donors!

[Ron Clarke]

fantastic idea. kudos to all involved.
I'd be first in line, but I'm a turnip.
So instead of wasting a needle and supplies on my pitiful veins, I'll donate treats to the donors or... any other suggestions?

Thanks, Helen. I fully understand the turnip syndrome. There are a million valid reasons why people can't donate, and the restrictions get tighter all the time.

I'd be happy to have your help in another way. I'm putting together an array of prizes for a drawing limited to everyone who presents to donate (i.e., if you show up and roll up your sleeve but for some reason can't successfully donate, you're still in the drawing) -- if you can scare up an item for the drawing, that'd be cool. We'll need a handful of volunteers to help set up and take down the gear for the room; more on that later. Post-donation snacks are always welcome, too. Whatever you can do would be much appreciated.

[Ron Clarke]

Thats awesome Ron, What a great idea! I am sure you will easily reach the 40 units. Count me in for one

Excellent! Thanks much. We'll soon have an appointment sheet to circulate so you can get in and out on a relatively predictable schedule. It always seems to take a little longer than anticipated, but it goes pretty fast overall. We don't want to impinge too much on people's hawking time!

[Ron Clarke]

Wuss! Go for two! No guts no glorry right! Go big or go home!

Good thought. I'll find out if we'll have the capacity to do apheresis on site -- you can give a unit of blood and a unit of plasma that way (they won't let you unload two units of whole blood). That of course, necessitates devoted fluid replacement therapy afterward. The Red Cross usually recommends avoiding alcohol, but, well...

[Ron Clarke]

Does anybody know where to find the restrictions on giving? I have never given but have not been able to due to tattoos/meds.

I'll find out and pass that information along. Piercings and tattoos are often not a problem, depending on where you have them done. A clean and licensed facility is typically less a problem than if someone gets tattooed by his or her friends at the county jail using a ballpoint pen and cigarette ash.

As I said earlier, there are lots of legitimate reasons people can't donate. Some meds are OK, others aren't. Cancer patients are usually off the list for 5 or more years. People who have had malaria are off the list forever, at least the last time I checked. Blood pressure too high or too low at the time of donation can prevent a draw. So -- it'll be tempting to unleash good-natured ribbing at unsuccessful donors, especially with a rowdy bunch such as ours, but I hope folks will refrain. You just never know why a donation doesn't work on any given day. We'll give kudos to everyone who shows up willing to try!

[Tasha55403]

Here's the Red Cross's page with Eligibility Requirements by Topic...
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donatin...criteria-topic

[Ron Clarke]

Sweet! I'm in Here ya go Mario
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donatin...st-time-donors

Thanks, Tasha. Good on ya!

And thanks for the link to overall donation information. There's a lot there -- if you don't want to sift through all that, here's the direct link to Red Cross eligibility requirements, including tattoos, piercings, and meds: http://www.redcrossblood.org/donatin...criteria-topic

[Ron Clarke]

I'll get back to ya

Puy me dowm for a pint of O negative

You're on, brudda. Good on ya! Meet you afterward for fluid replacement therapy.

[Ron Clarke]

Here's the Red Cross's page with Eligibility Requirements by Topic...
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donatin...criteria-topic

You are SO all over this one. Thanks!

[Goshawk635]

Bravo Ron! If I don't make it this year I will give one in NAFAs Honor here locally! Love it. Great work all!

[COMEAUX]

I'm in! I needed 23 units back in 95 when some one ran me off the road on my motorcycle Got staff in my leg... alot of trips to the O.R. yeah,beer and orange juice after

[Ron Clarke]

Bravo Ron! If I don't make it this year I will give one in NAFAs Honor here locally! Love it. Great work all!

Thanks, Phil. Hope to see you in Kearney.

[Ron Clarke]

I'm in! I needed 23 units back in 95 when some one ran me off the road on my motorcycle Got staff in my leg... alot of trips to the O.R. yeah,beer and orange juice after

Excellent. Nobody understands the need for blood like someone who's had to use some in the past, eh? Good on ya, brudda. First round of fluid replacement is on me.

[Ally]

Awesome idea, and way to give back! Falconers...we take blood and give it

On Rich's note...Count me in for a unit of A Negative!

[Tasha55403]

You are SO all over this one. Thanks!

You're welcome and thank YOU for setting this up I like to make a difference and there's no question about where the blood goes, unlike money donated to wherever

[Lowachi]

I'll get back to ya

Puy me dowm for a pint of O negative

Like Comeaux, I owe a few yet from the Harley highside I took to avoid a Ford POS 20 years ago.

[Ron Clarke]

Awesome idea, and way to give back! Falconers...we take blood and give it

On Rich's note...Count me in for a unit of A Negative!

Great, Ally! Thank you. See you in Kearney.

[Ron Clarke]

Like Comeaux, I owe a few yet from the Harley highside I took to avoid a Ford POS 20 years ago.

As with Mr. Coon Ass Shrimp Boil hisself, I'm glad however many units of blood you needed did the trick. Good to have you boys still with us! It'll be an honor to roll up my sleeve with you all.

One more possible reason to donate: I'm not sure if they still do what used to be called the Blood Assurance Program, but when I first started donating, a pint a year guaranteed you and all your family members access to however many units of blood they might require for that year. Can't beat that! I'll find out if that program is still in place.

[everetkhorton]

Great idea Ron. Sorry but I can give blood anymore but I would if I could.
I almost made it to two gal. but fell short.
Ev.

[Dirthawking]

I have never been able to donate before, but it looks like I can now. I PLAN on donating so I will also help to make sure we get more then the 40. Even if we have to hold birds hostage at the weathering yard! Kidding about the birds being held hostage. Or am I.......

[Chad L.]

Still unsure if i'm making it to the meet or not but i'll keep up my local donation of O- here in Denver if I don't. If I do make it, the vampires in Kearney can have it that week.

My life was saved through many a blood transfusion back in 2001 so I really appreciate what you've put together here. Good on ya ,Ron!

To anyone that hasn't given before, or MAY be afraid of needles etc I can assure that it really isn't all that bad and the benefit that you pass on to your fellow man or woman is certainly worth a small amount of discomfort.

[Tasha55403]

Ha! If a little 5 ft tall girl like ME can do it, what are the rest of y'all afraid of?

[Chad L.]

Ha! If a little 5 ft tall girl like ME can do it, what are the rest of y'all afraid of?

EXACTLY!

[Chad L.]

Ron,

for those of us that may not be able to make it the meet but still want to participate locally, but on this events behalf, is there a sponsor code that we can use for this event so your drive gets the credits for units donated?

[JRedig]

Ha! If a little 5 ft tall girl like ME can do it, what are the rest of y'all afraid of?

5 foot little girls like you come to mind...

[Tasha55403]

ROFLMAO...chicken...I am just a sweet, innocent little girl. Nothing scary about me at all!