DAYTON, OHIO – Oakwood donor Glenn Stoops and Theodore Hale are 57 years apart in age, but share a strong bond as blood donors and friends for life. It was fitting that on the day before graduating with honors from Fairmont High School, Theodore would join the man he calls his “elder” on a bike ride to the Dayton Community Blood Center where they would donate side by side.

Their friendship has been a special journey, and their May 25 visit to CBC was a good day to celebrate milestones.  It marked their first time donating platelets together.  Glenn reached his milestone 300^th lifetime donation on April 20, and this visit was his 302^nd donation.  Theodore began donating platelets in April, and this was his 12^th lifetime donation.

Theodore was still bursting with pride from a cascade of honors at the Fairmont High senior awards ceremony.  The faculty named him “Firebird of the Year” for excelling in academics, leadership and service, and his classmates voted him “Mr. Fairmont” for his school spirit.

He also received the CBC Red Cord for supporting blood donations during his high school career, and graduates as Fairmont Homecoming King, National Honor Society member and summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average.  More honors may come this summer when he competes for the 10^th year in the Ohio Special Olympics.

“There are a lot of good people at Fairmont,” said Theodore with humility. “I’m pretty happy.” But he quickly shifted praise to his friend Glenn’s 300^th donation milestone.

“I respect him as elder,” said Theodore. “He’s really intelligent and has talent.  If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be biking or donating blood.  I respect what he’s taught me in a positive, professional relationship. He respects me and I respect him.”

“Every place I turn, I run into people who know Theodore,” said Glenn.  “He knows everybody. He wants to expand his universe.”

GLENN’S ‘DONOR FOR LIFE’ JOURNEY

Glenn’s 300^th donation milestone caused him to reflect on his life journey as a blood donor. “May 5 was the 39^th anniversary of my bike wreck when a guy ran over me,” he said.

Glenn was on his “normal Saturday morning bike ride” through Kettering when a car ran the red light at the intersection of Stroop and Shroyer.  “I flew 20 or 30 feet through the air and when I landed my head hit my hand,” he said. “I broke my hand to save my head!”

He also suffered a fractured femur, a surgery that required a blood transfusion.  “I had donated occasionally at blood drives up to then,” he said. “Six months to the day from my surgery I got a call asking me to come down and donate.”

Glenn was soon averaging seven whole blood donations per year. During his career at SAIC, Inc. he donated with a CBC LifeLeaders team called the “Corpuscle Corp.” His team proudly “topped out” by reaching the team goal of 35 pints.

He began donating platelets and plasma in 2009, and was soon averaging 24 donations per year.  His scheduled slumped in 2016 thanks to another cycling accident. “My wheel went into some wet concrete; I went over the handlebars and landed on my head,” he said. “I cracked my helmet, had a concussion and lost a couple of teeth.”

But Glenn persevered again and was soon back on schedule. His 300 donation milestone was his eighth donation of 2018.

A GUIDING FRIENDSHIP

Glenn remembers meeting Theodore when he was a young boy full of energy swimming at the Oakwood pool. “I found out he knew all the train schedules in town. It was just one of his interests,” said Glenn.  “I thought he has substance. There’s something to him.”

As Theodore grew older, Glenn became Theodore’s role model for cycling. “I had a little orange Target bike,” said Theodore. “I was 12 and we went from Factory Road in Beavercreek to Young’s Dairy and back. It was 37 miles and it took six hours!”

In July of 2017 Glenn and a group of friends organized a 100-mile ride with Theodore from Yellow Springs to Urbana and back to Oakwood. “It was a team of three of us that took turns riding with him and he rode the whole 100 miles,” said Glenn.

Glenn also became Theodore’s role model for blood donations. “I’d show up at the pool with a bandage on my arm and he would ask about it,” said Glenn. “It’s a big thing in my life and it’s a big thing in his life too.”

When Theodore turned 16 he was eager to become a blood donor. But he learned it would not come easy as he struggled to pass required screening.

“I kept on getting deferred,” Theodore said, “Whether it was weight or blood pressure. I think it was 10 times. I tried every two weeks. I never gave up because it’s a really good cause. If I truly care about the cause I need to come back.”

Theodore made his first whole blood donation in 2016.  “I did eight of whole blood, until I got a gallon, and then I started apheresis,” he said.

Whether it’s cycling 100 miles or donating a gallon of blood, Theodore says it all comes down to perseverance.   He compared it to school work.

“If I failed a science test and never took a science test again, I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today,” he said. “It’s all perseverance. If you don’t persevere you won’t get anywhere in life. Life is full of failures. You can take those failures and learn from them.”

Glenn simply shakes his head and smiles when he hears Theodore’s words of wisdom.  He doesn’t claim any credit, but it’s clear he has mentored Theodore well.  After soft drinks and cookies in the Donor Café, they unlock their bikes and begin the journey home. Companions on the road, compassionate blood donors, friends for life.

GREENVILLE, Ohio – Community Blood Center and Vectren awarded a $1,000 Lead The Way Creative Scholarship to Greenville Senior High School senior Hayley Maher for her “Blood Gives” blood drive recruitment campaign.

Hayley is the class of 2018 valedictorian at Greenville Senior High School and has made five lifetime blood donations. Her “Blood Gives” campaign featured a video and it received the highest score from the Lead The Way judges.

“Giving blood is a celebration of the little things in life that recipients of blood donations are able to experience more of,” she wrote. “Birthdays, family vacations, laughs with friends, anniversaries, and hundreds of other invaluable life experiences.”

She illustrated the “blood gives more life” theme both in a graphic design for a blood drive t-shirt, and in an original video montage of life celebrations. The video also includes facts about blood donations, images from the school blood drive, and multiple interviews with classmates about why they donate.

Hayley plans to study exercise science at the University of Mount Union with the goal of working in sports medicine. She is a member of the Medical Tech Prep program at Greenville High, the student group that sponsors the spring blood drive.

“Hayley is an outstanding student,” said Medical Tech Prep teacher and blood drive coordinator Amanda Koenig. “The blood drives are a good experience. At Med Tech the students are interested in pre-med and health careers and with the blood drive they feel more connected.”

The 2018 Lead The Way winners include: Mikayla Schaffner from Miami East High School; Karson Hudson from Valley View High School; Kacie Tackett from Newton High School; and Kayla Helmick from Cedarville High School.

 

MIAMI COUNTY , Ohio – Community Blood Center and Vectren awarded $1,000 Lead The Way Creative Scholarships to Miami East High School senior Mikayla Schaffner at the May 16 Miami East Senior Awards Night and to Newton High School senior Kacie Tackett at Newton’s May 17 Awards Assembly.

The awards honored Mikayla’s “Giving up isn’t in our Blood” recruitment campaign and Kacie’s “Put up a Fight for the ones that are Fighting” campaign.  It’s the third consecutive year a Lead The Way scholarship has gone to a Miami East senior and the second year in a row to a Newton High senior.

CBC/Vectren Lead The Way applicants are challenged to design a winning marketing campaign for a high school blood drive. They submit a campaign slogan, explain why it would encourage fellow students to donate, and express the campaign theme with innovative and artistic marketing techniques.

Miami East High School Principal Todd Gentis, blood drive coordinator and National Honor Society adviser Cynde Sroufe, and CBC Account Representative Dana Puterbaugh presented Mikayla’s award.

Mikayla emphasized courage and strength in her “Giving up isn’t in our Blood” campaign. Her original artwork featured a blood bag in the shape of a heart filled with words of encouragement.

“Both the individuals who donate and who are in need of blood are brave and bold,” she wrote.  “Not a large number of people like to volunteer to get their blood drawn for donation, and that’s why the people who do are so important.  ‘Giving up isn’t in our blood’ is a slogan that can bring people together to donate and save the lives of individuals who are in need of blood.”

“We had more kids this year participate in the blood drive than any year previous,” said Principal Gentis. “Kudos to Cynde Sroufe and the NHS. We’re blessed with awesome kids here. Mikayla has been an amazing addition to our senior class. She’s a phenomenal artist, no doubt. She has a great future ahead of her.”

Mikayla will attend the Columbus College of Art & Design.

Newton High School Principal Danielle Davis, NHS Adviser and blood drive coordinator Taylor Stevens and CBC’s Dana Puterbaugh presented Kacie’s scholarship.

Kacie was NHS president at Newton High and earned a CBC “Red Cord” for supporting school blood drives.  The t-shirt she designed for her “Put up a Fight for the ones that are Fighting” campaign features a bright red pair of boxing gloves.  Kacie also submitted a special photo with grandmother, who receives dialysis treatments three times a week.  Kacie wore red boxing gloves in the photo and they both wore “Put up a Fight” t-shirts.

“Many people have someone special to them that is fighting,” wrote Kacie, using the examples of cancer patients and accident victims. “Many people could also know someone who has lost their fight. Students usually think there is nothing they can do to help their loved one. However, with this campaign students can feel like they are helping their loved one by something as simple as donating blood.”

“We’re a small school but Newton High produces quality students, just like the big schools,” said Principal Davis. “I’m so proud of our student body. Kacie’s a great student too. We’re giving out a lot of scholarships today. It shows that even small schools like Newton can take advantage of these opportunities.”

Kacie plans to attend Edison State Community College and later Urbana University to study early childhood education and guidance counseling.

DAYTON, Ohio – Community Blood Center is counting on blood donors and their “Do it yourself” spirit to help build a better blood supply this summer.

Everyone who registers to donate blood at a CBC Donor Center or a CBC mobile blood drive from May 29 through Sept. 1 will be automatically entered in the “Build a Better Blood Supply Summer Blood Drive” drawing to win a $5,000 home improvement gift card.  Donors must be 18 by the end of the campaign period to win.

Eligible donors can enter the drawing a second time when they register for a second donation during the blood drive period. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at www.DonorTime.com.

The grand prize in the “Build a Better Blood Supply Summer Blood Drive” campaign will help a lucky donor complete a dream project in their home or yard.  CBC hopes the dream will encourage more donors to help boost the blood supply during the challenging summer months.

“Summer is a favorite time for home improvement projects, but it’s also when many people travel, vacation and enjoy outdoor activities – everything that may keep them from donating,” said CBC Donor Relations Director Tracy Morgan. “Our mission year round is to make sure area hospitals and their patients have the blood they need.  We’re counting on both regular donors and new donors to help build a supply that will stand up all summer long.”

CBC will announce the winner in September.  Official rules will be available at www.givingblood.org.

 

GERMANTOWN, Ohio – Community Blood Center and Vectren awarded a $1,000 Lead The Way Creative Scholarship to Valley View High School senior Karson Hudson for her “The Sound of Life… Keep it Going” blood drive campaign during the school’s May 15 Senior Awards Ceremony.

CBC/Vectren Lead The Way applicants were challenged to design a winning marketing campaign for a high school blood drive. They submitted a campaign slogan, explained why it would encourage fellow students to donate, and expressed their campaign theme with innovative and artistic marketing techniques.

Karson sang in school musicals and the chamber choir at Valley View. She’s also a hospice volunteer and has made four lifetime blood donations. She says her “The Sounds of Life… Keep it Going” theme combines her twin passions of helping others and music.  She designed artwork for both a t-shirt and recyclable shopping bag.  It features a musical scale with blood drops as the notes, with each representing a different blood type.

“Just like notes and melodies make up the music that we live, blood drives are heartbeats that give us the sound of life,” she wrote. “Additionally, if people are apprehensive or nervous about donating blood, incorporating music can serve as a way to relax people and make them more comfortable.”

Valley View Principal Todd Kozarec, blood drive coordinator and NHS adviser Sarajane Steinecker, and CBC Account Representative Donna Teuscher presented the award to Karson.

“It’s been a long partnership with Community Blood Center, run through our National Honor Society,” said Principal Kozarec. “It’s great to honor a student like Karson who has given back to the community.”

“I think it’s very important for our students to take part,” said school nurse and co-blood drive coordinator Michelle Hoog. “We encourage them because it sets them up to be lifetime donors.”

Karson plans to major in nursing at Case Western University and specialize in neonatal nursing.

CEDARVILLE, Ohio – Community Blood Center and Vectren awarded a $1,000 Lead The Way Creative Scholarship to Cedarville High School senior Kayla Helmick for her “Be Brave… and Save!” blood drive campaign during the school’s May 14 Service and Leadership Awards ceremony.

Lead The Way applicants were challenged to design a winning marketing campaign for a high school blood drive. They submitted a campaign slogan, explained why it would encourage fellow students to donate, and expressed their campaign theme with innovative and artistic marketing techniques.

Kayla caught the judges’ attention by designing a poster with a detailed drawing of the human heart. She included thought-provoking information about blood donations along the arteries branching from her heart design and her slogan “Be Brave… and Save!”

“I really geared by poster towards those who are afraid of needles,” Kayla wrote. “This is what sparked by interest in this scholarship. I think this poster would be very successful in pointing out that having a little bravery and getting past the thought of needles can have a huge impact and save someone’s life.”

Cedarville Principal Chad Haemmerle, blood drive coordinator and Key Club advisor Rita Doyle, and CBC Account Representative Cora Johnson presented the award to Kayla. The school blood drive is sponsored by the Key Club and is part of “Spirit of Giving Week” at CHS.

“We do emphasize service here,” said Principal Haemmerle. “We want to serve others. It’s a quality, a value and a tradition, a personal standard that will serve you for life. Kayla is a terrific kid. She’s always serving others, in her school work, athletics, and community. She does everything she’s asked to do and more.”

Kayla plans to study exercise science and nutrition at Miami University. She hopes to start her own business helping people live healthier lifestyles.

 

DAYTON, Ohio – Five area high school seniors have earned $1,000 Community Blood Center/Vectren Lead The Way Creative Scholarships for illustrating giving blood as acts of courage, compassion and celebration in their award-winning blood drive campaigns.

The 2018 Lead The Way winners are: Hayley Maher from Greenville Senior High School; Mikayla Schaffner from Miami East High School; Karson Hudson from Valley View High School; Kacie Tackett from Newton High School; and Kayla Helmick from Cedarville High School.

Two winners are from Miami County high schools. It’s the third consecutive year a scholarship has gone to a Miami East senior and the second year in a row to a Newton High senior.  It’s the first year to have winners from Greenville, Valley View and Cedarville.

Lead The Way applicants were challenged to design a winning marketing campaign for a high school blood drive. They submitted a campaign slogan, explained why it would encourage fellow students to donate, and expressed their campaign theme with one or more innovative and artistic marketing techniques.

Hayley Maher, Greenville Senior High School: “Blood Gives.”

Hayley is the class of 2018 valedictorian at Greenville Senior High School and has made five lifetime blood donations. Her “Blood Gives” campaign featured a video and it received the highest score from the Lead The Way judges.

“Giving blood is a celebration of the little things in life that recipients of blood donations are able to experience more of,” she wrote. “Birthdays, family vacations, laughs with friends, anniversaries, and hundreds of other invaluable life experiences.”

She illustrated the “blood gives more life” theme with a graphic design, and in an original video montage of life celebrations. The video also includes facts about blood donations and multiple interviews with classmates about why they donate.

Hayley plans to study exercise science at the University of Mount Union with the goal of working in sports medicine.

Mikayla Schaffner, Miami East High School: “Giving up isn’t in our blood.”

Mikayla emphasized courage and strength in her “Giving up isn’t in our blood” campaign. The judges were impressed by her original artwork. She explained, “The picture I created includes a blood bag in the shape of a heart that is filled with blood and words of encouragement.”

Mikayla is an award-winning athlete at Miami East, and her campaign emphasized confidence and team spirit. “Both the individuals who donate and who are in need of blood are brave and bold,” she wrote.  “Not a large number of people like to volunteer to get their blood drawn for donation, and that’s why the people who do are so important.  ‘Giving up isn’t in our blood’ is a slogan that can bring people together to donate and save the lives of individuals who are in need of blood.”

Mikayla will attend the Columbus College of Art & Design and would like to work for a major motion picture company.

Karson Hudson, Valley View High School: “The Sound of Life… Keep it Going.”

Karson sang in school musicals and the chamber choir at Valley View. She’s also a hospice volunteer and has made four lifetime blood donations. She says her “The Sounds of Life… Keep it Going” theme combines her twin passions of helping others and music.  She designed artwork for both a t-shirt and recyclable shopping bag.  It features a musical scale with blood drops as the notes, with each representing a different blood type.

The judges were impressed by her “sound of life” theme, both as a metaphor for blood donations, and the calming use of music at blood drives.

“Just like notes and melodies make up the music that we live, blood drives are heartbeats that give us the sound of life,” she wrote. “Additionally, if people are apprehensive or nervous about donating blood, incorporating music can serve as a way to relax people and make them more comfortable.”

Karson plans to major in nursing at Case Western University and would like specialize in neonatal nursing.

Kacie Tackett, Newton High School: “Put up a Fight for the ones that are Fighting.”

Kacie was NHS president at Newton High and earned a CBC “Red Cord” for supporting school blood drives.  The t-shirt she designed for her “Put up a Fight for the ones that are Fighting” campaign features a bright red pair of boxing gloves.  Kacie also submitted a special photo with grandmother, who receives dialysis treatments three times a week.  Kacie wore red boxing gloves in the photo and they both wore her “Put up a Fight” t-shirts.

“Many people have someone special to them that is fighting,” wrote Kacie, using the examples of cancer patients and accident victims. “Many people could also know someone who has lost their fight. Students usually think there is nothing they can do to help their loved one. However, with this campaign students can feel like they are helping their loved one by something as simple as donating blood.”

Kacie plans to attend Edison State Community College and later Urbana University to study early childhood education and guidance counseling.

Kayla Helmick, Cedarville High School: “Be Brave… And Save!”

Kayla caught the judges’ attention by designing a poster with a detailed drawing of the human heart. She included thought-provoking information about blood donations along the arteries branching from her heart design.

“I really geared by poster towards those who are afraid of needles,” Kayla wrote. “This is what sparked by interest in this scholarship. I think this poster would be very successful in pointing out that having a little bravery and getting past the thought of needles can have a huge impact and save someone’s life.”

Kayla plans to study exercise science and nutrition at Miami University. She has a passion for health and wellness and hopes to start her own business helping people live healthier lifestyles.

The $5,000 Lead The Way scholarship program is supported by a grant from Vectren.  CBC and Vectren annually award $1,000 in college tuition assistance to five graduating, college-bound seniors whose high school hosts a CBC blood drive.

 

Dayton donor Glenn “Scott” Bailey is a proud member of the apheresis team of donors at Community Blood Center.  It was with extra pride that he celebrated his milestone 200^th lifetime donation by giving platelets on May 3 at the Dayton CBC.

“I knew it was coming!” Scott said of his milestone. “It feels great. It’s a great way to give back. It costs just a little bit of time.”

Scott has always been willing to take time to donate. His “Donor for Life” journey began back in 1977. “I was at Ohio University and there was a blood drive,” he said. “I was a freshman down there and I decided to donate.”

Scott spent 23 years working at the Emery Worldwide Midwestern hub at the Dayton International Airport, where he would often donate at mobile blood drives.  Emery ceased operations in 2001 and Scott went to work for Caterpillar in Clayton.  Scott and his wife Kim have been married 15 years and have a daughter.

Scott would frequently come downtown to the Dayton CBC to donate whole blood, and in 2003 he became a platelet and plasma donor. “I was finding out more about apheresis when they asked me about it,” he said. “I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Scott tries to donate every two weeks.  He drew closer to his 200^th milestone with 20 donations in 2017 and reached the goal with his seventh donation of 2018.

“I’m glad I can do it,” he said. “I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.”

Dayton donor Justin Adams was pumped up about making his milestone 100^th lifetime donation on April 7 at the Dayton Community Blood Center, and he was still pumped when he returned for his 101^st on May 3.

“When I donated on April 7 it was the 20^th anniversary of donating for the first time on my 17^th birthday,” Justin said.  He gives credit to his mom for inspiring his “Donor for Life” journey.

“My mom had been donating for years,” he said. “I remember she told me they can donate at 17 and I said ‘Sure!’”

Justin became a regular donor at the Dayton CBC and continued to donate when he went off to school at Earlham College in Richmond. “I was religious there too!” he said.

He missed donating while in graduate school at the University of Michigan, and quickly got back on schedule when he returned to Dayton.  In 2009 be began donating platelets. “As soon as I came back from graduate school, right after my first time donating again, they asked me about apheresis.”

Justin enjoys his work installing software for Tyler Technologies.  He and his wife Joanna celebrate their 13^th wedding anniversary this week.

He reached his 100 donation milestone with his fourth platelet donation of 2018 and is well on his way to maintaining his average of about nine platelet donations per year.  It’s just part of the journey for a “Donor for Life.”

Kettering donor Mary Moorman is a “Donor for Life” who learned by example and has set an example in her family for giving blood.  She’s a dedicated platelet donor and celebrated her milestone 200^th lifetime donation on May 4 at the Dayton Community Blood Center.

“I started donating at my first job, a company in Eaton called Dayton Flexible Products,” Mary said. “We had a mobile blood drive a few times a year.  It seemed like something good to do. My father was always a blood donor. I remember him donating when I was growing up near Chillicothe.”

Mary has been a platelet donor since December of 2005.  She tries to donate every two weeks. She drew closer to her 200^th milestone with 18 donations in 2017 and reached the goal with her 10^th donation of 2018.

“I remember when they asked would I consider doing platelets,” she said. “I started and had have been giving platelets ever since. It worked out fine!”

Mary schedules her donations around her part-time work schedule and also finds time for quilting and traveling.  Her husband Doug works at the University of Dayton Research Institute and they just celebrated their 36^th anniversary.

She learned about donating from her dad, and passed it on to her own daughter. “I was donating when my daughter was young and I would bring her with me,” she said. “She’s a donor now.”