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And the Winner is…
Congratulations to the lucky Winter Getaway winner, Sue Mundt of Lincoln! Selected in a random drawing of all eligible donors who presented to donate in December, Sue won the 3-night getaway for 2 at a Hyatt Place of her choice (although she’s not yet sure where she’ll be going!).
As a loyal blood donor with Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB), Sue makes giving blood a part of her routine. “It is something I can do for the community without an expectation of anything in return,” Sue said. “It is just a GREAT feeling. The need is huge but I know the number of donors is not. So I just keep giving.”
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Broadcasters Unite for Life
Channel 10/11 news and KFRX joined forces in January for the Broadcasters Unite for Life Blood Drive in Lincoln. The bi-annual drive brought in 11 first-time donors and collected 49 units—107% of goal! In addition to the promotions going on for National Blood Donor Month, donors received a coupon for a free meal deal from Don and Millie's and were entered for a chance to win a 42” Vizio LED Smart TV.
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10/11 Meteorologist Brad Anderson donated blood during the noon broadcast and gave his weather report from the donor chair.
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Blood donor Jessi Collins was the lucky winner of the TV.
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National Blood Donor Month Proclamation
In his first proclamation as Governor of Nebraska, Gov. Pete Ricketts declared January as National Blood Donor Month in the State of Nebraska. Recognized nationally since 1970, January is when blood centers celebrate blood donors and inspire others to give, as the need for blood is typically great during this winter month.
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Ellen DiSalvo, Nebraska Community Blood Bank President; Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts; Rachel Barth, Community Outreach Representative; Ashley Ryan, Communication Coordinator; Kelly Gillaspie, Client Services Account Manager
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Beating Incredible Odds
“Leyna beat incredible odds to survive childhood cancer. But, she didn’t fight alone! Every blood donor who took the time to donate fought right alongside her. We are forever grateful for the gifts of life she received from each and every one who gave so generously. Thank you!”—Princess Leyna’s mom, Karri Shiers-Ahlschwede
Scroll over Leyna’s picture to read her story.
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Drafting New Deferral Guidelines
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expects to draft new guidelines this year changing the permanent deferral period for men who have had sex with men (MSM). The FDA’s recommendation to move to a one-year deferral period (from the last MSM contact) will align with other risk deferral periods.
Memorial Blood Centers (MBC) and Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB), along with other members of America’s Blood Centers (ABC), AABB, and the American Red Cross support the proposed change as the current policy was issued in 1983 during the height of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. “We recognize the need to consistently apply scientifically-based deferral policies across all prospective blood donors,” said Jed Gorlin, M.D., Innovative Blood Resources' (IBR) Medical Director. “We rigorously follow all FDA mandates on donor eligibility and our primary concern is a safe and stable blood supply for our community and our nation.”
Once the FDA drafts guidelines, stakeholders will have the opportunity to review and comment before a new policy is implemented. We will continue to follow current FDA guidelines until new criteria is issued.
The FDA’s announcement to change the policy came in December, shortly after a Department of Health and Human Services advisory committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of a one-year period for MSM deferrals.
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Warrior Princess Blood Drive
The First Annual Warrior Princess Foundation Blood Drive was held Monday, December 8th in honor of Isabel Haifley who passed away last year from a rare lung disease at the age of two. Her family and friends started the Warrior Princess Foundation in her honor, and hosted a blood drive to give back to the community and help save lives. Held at the Lincoln Racquet Club, the drive was a huge success—53 units collected and 40 first time donors!
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Kendra Haifley donates in honor of her daughter, Isabel, during her First Annual Warrior Princess Foundation Blood Drive.
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The Lincoln Stroller Moms donate to show their support for Isabel’s family.
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Kiwanis members were recognized during the annual Kiwanis Challenge Ruby Award Breakfast.
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Another Year of Life-saving in the Books
A year-long life-saving competition between several Kiwanis chapters wrapped up in November with the annual Kiwanis Challenge Ruby Award Breakfast. The 12 Lincoln-based chapters made a total of 200 donations throughout the year!
Members fill out Count Me In cards every time they step up to donate blood. Then points are awarded for each card, based on the type of donation given (whole blood, platelets, double reds). Congratulations to the Lincoln Sunrise chapter! They had the highest participation and won the Ruby Award.
Thanks to everyone’s ongoing commitment to help save lives year-round, we truly are making a life-saving difference. We’re also helping to improve the quality of life for many—like Lincoln Police Officer Rich Fitch, who received 23 units of blood after a splenic artery rupture last year. Officer Fitch, along with his mother and son, attended the breakfast to thank Kiwanis members for their life-saving donations.
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After breakfast, Rich Fitch's mom stepped up to donate.
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Blood recipient Rich Fitch enjoying breakfast with his son.
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Supporting Cast
Throughout the year, dozens of volunteers support our efforts to supply life-saving blood to those in need by welcoming donors at our donor centers, transporting blood products, staffing special events, and so much more! We thank all of our volunteers for choosing IBR and making a difference in our communities!
 Volunteers Kris and David Jones help fold, bag, and distribute long-sleeve shirts for our special promotion that successfully encouraged donors to step up and donate blood this past holiday season.
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The Lincoln Stars thanked blood donors who stepped up to give during the Lincoln Stars Blood Drive in January. Mark your calendar – Join us for NCBB Night with the Lincoln Stars on March 10, followed by the Stars blood drive on March 24.
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Roommates and UNL students, Samantha and Riley, stepped up to help save lives.
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Win or Lose, Lives are Saved
NCBB teamed up with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Innocents Society for the annual Corn Bowl Blood Drive Challenge against rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes. 140 first-time blood donors stepped up to bleed red during the three-day drive in November. In total, 173 units of blood were collected on the UNL campus.
The Hawkeyes collected even more units and took home the coveted Corn Bowl trophy. Next fall, the two schools will team up again with the continued goal of helping save and improve the lives of patients in need.
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Employees Step Up to Give Local
IBR employees stepped up to give nearly $14,000 to other charities that are making a difference every day in our communities. Seventy employees pledged to give to Community Health Charities in Minnesota and United Way in Lincoln throughout 2015.
“Every dollar donated during our Employee Giving Campaign makes a huge difference to those in need in our communities,” said Larry Silber, Corporate and Community Relations Officer and organizer of IBR’s Employee Giving Campaign. “It’s amazing to see so many employees voluntarily give in support of our local nonprofits.”
Did you know?
Each year employees throughout the U.S. raise $4.8 billion dollars for nonprofits through workplace giving programs, according to Charity Navigator.
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Santa Saturday a Success
Children in the Lincoln community had an opportunity to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas during NCBB’s Santa Saturday. After asking for toys, games, and clothes, some children then asked Santa where he parked his reindeer! Santa told them he had to leave the reindeer at the North Pole due to the unseasonably warm December morning.
The community event was enjoyed by over 70 children and their parents. Children sat on Santa’s lap for photos, created photo frames, and enjoyed cookies and juice while watching Christmas movies.
The community brought wrapping supplies to donate to CEDARS Home for Children and the Donor Recruitment and Marketing departments teamed up to donate gifts for children at CEDARS.
Thanks to the volunteers who stepped up to make this event possible—it was a great success.
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Collection Technician Amanda Canby’s son poses for a picture with Santa.
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Communication Coordinator Ashley Ryan and Community Outreach Representative Rachel Barth hold Christmas gifts donated to CEDARS.
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Social Media Buzz Room
Here’s a snapshot of what’s been happening on our social media pages. Click on any image to see the live post!
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Holiday Party
NCBB staff enjoyed a variety of tasty dishes provided by members of the Leadership Team at the annual Holiday Party. Employees played games for chances to win prizes and showcased their holiday cheer in the themed photo booth!
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Coordinator Spotlight
Shannon Nielson, currently the blood drive coordinator for the Nebraska Air National Guard, has been coordinating drives with NCBB since 2005.
Q&A with Shannon
Q. Do you know someone who’s received blood?
A. I’ve known a lot of people who have been in accidents and needed blood.
Q. Why did you start coordinating blood drives?
A. I wanted to help people and partner with the community. Nothing is better than saving lives!
Q. What is your best tip for coordinating a successful blood drive?
A. Advertise early and keep hosting drives. Blood drives make it convenient for our staff to give blood. First-time donors always come back because the NCBB team is so great and offers a comfortable experience. NCBB also has some great incentives—challenges, game tickets, and drawings.
Q. Do you have any tips for recruiting double reds?
A. If someone is giving blood and they know their type, I’ll check to see if a double red donation is right for their type. If it is, then I’ll encourage the donor to give double reds by explaining the process and letting them know that it’s the red blood cells that hold the most power to save lives. Once they hear that, they usually give.
Q. How often do you host blood drives?
A. I host them as often as I can so that our members can stay on a consistent giving schedule. I also have a great donor recruiter at NCBB who advises me on the time frame and guides me to select the right dates.
Q. What’s your favorite part about partnering with NCBB?
A. Giving back to the community and saving lives.
Q. Do you have any hobbies?
A. I love being outside, running and exercising.
Q. What is your favorite food?
A. Wow, that’s hard to answer. I love food—Mexican, seafood, and a good ole’ Nebraska Steak.
Q. Where’s your favorite place to go in town?
A. Any place I can spend with family and friends!
Q. What is your blood type?
A. O-
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Email Address Changes
Have you noticed our email address changed? Don’t worry, our old email address still work! We just ask that you add our new address (@innovativeblood.org) to your contact list, so they our emails don’t end up in your junk folder!
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