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Blood Drives: A Valuable Opportunity To Selflessly Share The Gift Of Life
We know that Christ shed His blood so we could have eternal life. Is it not fitting, then, since we are created in Christ’s image, that we give freely of our blood so another person can live? Dan Fuoco thinks so. As coordinator for our St. Peter Blood Drives, Dan fervently believes in what he calls the “most unselfish gift” of donating blood.
The St. Peter Blood Drives are held three times each year — shortly before Christmas, on Easter Monday, and on the first day of the St. Peter School year in August. The 2020 Christmas date had to be canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the Easter Monday event resumed this year, and plans are being made for the August date.
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A mobile unit has all the equipment needed to collect blood during the blood drives held on our grounds.
The Community Blood Bank of Nebraska brings its mobile collection vehicle to the church grounds. Although walk-ins are always welcome, we can sign up for donation times on papers available in the church foyer. Dan often staffs a table there to answer questions and help in the signup process.
The St. Peter Blood Drives began in 2011 when our Knights of Columbus Council began discussing possible community charitable activities. The idea for a blood drive was brought up, and Dan, being a regular donor, volunteered to chair the event.
“I said, ‘I’ve got a passion for it, so I’ll do it,’” Dan says.
The donated blood is distributed in the Lincoln/ Lancaster County area wherever it is needed.
“It’s a charitable donation, an unselfish gift,” Dan says. “You donate your blood and you can save lives. You don’t know the recipient and vice versa. It just goes to whoever needs it, be it a cancer patient, an accident victim, or someone recovering from surgery, or a pregnant mother. Only your time is the cost to donate blood.”
The act of donating blood is also a way to live in stewardship.
Staff from the Community Blood Bank work with donors during a recent blood drive at St. Peter Parish. Three blood drives are held on our campus each year.
“Again, it’s the unselfish gift,” Dan says. “It’s the giving part that is a tangible way to help someone you don’t even know. Stewardship is all about your time, treasure, and talent. It takes only one-half hour to donate blood. The treasure is that you have that blood and the talent is probably from the staff handling the donation. The fact is that you have blood that you are willing to share.”
Donating blood is simple — one needs to be 18 years of age and weigh at least 115 pounds. There is no upper age limit. Anyone can donate blood safely every eight weeks.
If there is an emergency in our area, Dan makes sure the word gets out so donors can report to one of the blood bank’s centers.
Dan typically has a group of volunteers to help during the drives — the blood bank provides the staff to actually collect the blood.
