The number says it all; “354 potential lives saved.” That’s the impact donors had at the latest blood collection “pop-up” at the South Whidbey Community Center.
129 people, including 16 first-timers, donated blood during the three-day event.
“I always think of the people who are fighting for their lives, and you all had a part in helping them! THANK YOU!!!!” wrote Efrian Frias, Whidbey Island Donor Resources Representative at Bloodworks Northwest in a recent email.
Bloodworks Northwest, which supplies 95% of the region’s blood, has switched to pop-up events in large open places like the Community Center’s gymnasium because of COVID-19. Additionally, donors couldn’t just walk in, they had to make appointments.
The pandemic has forced Bloodworks Northwest to make many changes in how they collect blood, including not using their mobile unit, which had been responsible for 60% of the blood collections.
The January pop-up won’t be the last at the Community Center. Frias says they hope to hold a pop-up on South Whidbey, “every eight weeks through June.”
