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Day: February 9, 2021

Note from Foundation Chairs Claire & Patrick Rouse

Posted on by bbglobalpro

Dear Board Members:

We would like to thank all of you for your commitment to The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation. 

As noted at our Board meeting, 2021 is going to be a challenging year for The Foundation but at the same time provide us with an opportunity to explore how we achieve our mission of increasing community awareness and developing financial and other resources in support of BioBridge Global and its subsidiaries. 

To further our mission, we need members of the Board to actively participate in our efforts. 

We encourage all of our Board members to consider participating in the following manner:

  1. Donate through Champions fore Charity (details enclosed)
  2. Follow “Connect for Life” on your social media platforms and share all of our posts
  3. Sign up for a committee (fundraising, outreach and membership)
  4. Give blood, platelets and convalescent plasma
  5. Share contacts for possible philanthropic donors with Clay Howell (especially prospective donors The Foundation has not previously worked with)
  6. Support new bus reveals (date TBD)
  7. Share our mission at your local Rotary or community meetings (a BBG speaker can be coordinated for you)
  8. Share your story or do you have a family or friend with a story to share
  9. Get creative and let us know what you think will work, what we should do or how you would like to get involved

We look forward to working with everyone this year and should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact us. 

Sincerely,

Claire and Patrick Rouse

COVID-19 becomes a personal fight for councilmember Rocha Garcia

Posted on by bbglobalpro

For District 4 City Councilmember Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia, the fight against COVID-19 has gone beyond personal. 

Rocha Garcia, who spoke to The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation board of directors at its virtual meeting on Monday, Feb. 8, has lost seven relatives to the pandemic and seen at least 30 fight COVID-19 in the last 12 months. She also has lost at least three members of her church family. 

“To say this has taken a personal toll on me, well, it’s just beyond personal with COVID,” she said. “And it’s taken a heavy toll in the district I represent.” 

But Rocha Garcia, who already was a blood donor with the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, has found ways to fight back. 

She was one of the first members of the city council to sign up for the San Antonio District Challenge in January, in which members of the council sponsored blood drives across the community. 

The drives brought in more than 250 donations. District 7, represented by Ana Sandoval, won the challenge, followed by District 9, led by John Courage. 

“We’re very competitive on city council, and my district got third place,” Rocha Garcia said. “We’re going for first next time.” 

She also has become a major advocate for the center’s COVID-19 convalescent plasma program, in which those who have recovered from COVID-19 donate plasma in hopes of providing virus-fighting antibodies to those who are still sick. 

Once again, it’s personal: One of her cousins survived COVID-19 following a convalescent plasma donation. 

“My experiences have made me a more vocal advocate for both convalescent plasma and the day-to-day need,” she said. “The need for blood is just going to continue.” 

Rocha Garcia thanked staff at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center and The Foundation board for supporting the community through a difficult year. 

“When we look back 10 years from now, we can say we all pitched in with what we’re really good at,” she said. “You all are really good at bringing the community together at a time of need.” 

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