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Blood Drive Support

Winter has come and gone with holidays and local days of festivities throughout the spring. During that time, numerous urgent calls for blood went out and The Foundation would like to take a moment and thank every board member who stepped up to answer that call, especially those who went above and beyond and hosted their own blood drives.

As we head into the summer months, the need for blood will continue to rise with families ready to travel to vacation destinations and once postponed surgeries get rescheduled. You can help meet this need by reaching out to Adriana Vasquez to host your own blood drive. Perhaps its something you have considered before but are unsure exactly how that works. Maybe you’ve wondered if you have enough time to commit to taking on a whole blood drive. Adriana is more than happy to walk you through initial steps over the phone or via email.

Blood drives are typically scheduled 12 weeks in advance for the best host experience, but occasionally there are gaps in the schedule due to cancellations or a greater need where a blood drive can make all the difference. To begin, all you need is a zip code for the potential blood drive location and Adriana can connect you with your local Donor Recruitment Consultant. Blood drive hosts will be asked to have at least 25 committed donors sign up to donate to ensure a successful event. Click here to learn more about the process of hosting a blood drive.

Pictorial Directory

The 2022 pictorial directory is missing some vital information. Please check your inbox for a request for contact information confirmation or a photo submission request from Adriana Vasquez.

Once all contact information has been verified and photos received, The Foundation hopes this will be a valuable resource to strengthen communication with your fellow directors in your geographical location or areas of interest. Board members who have committed to chairing or participating in a program or committee will have that noted among their information. If you are interested in joining a committee or have a conversation on ways you can help with this year’s goals, please email Foundation@biobridgeglobal.org or Mary.dial@biobridgeglobal.org.  

May 2022 Foundation Board Member Spotlight

Scott and Elizabeth McMillian

What part of the organization and mission speaks most to you and why?

There are many nonprofits to support in the community, but one that truly touches everyone’s lives at some point is the need for blood. South Texas Blood and Tissue does an amazing job of coordinating these efforts in San Antonio as well as other South Texas communities. Whether you know someone battling cancer, a blood disease, having elective or emergency surgeries, you definitely know someone that has used blood at some point. 

This cause affected us personally as we watched two of our friend’s children battle leukemia. One was a successful battle, one was not. Imagining yourself in these parents’ shoes, watching your child battle a disease, you do all you can do to help them. Elizabeth started giving platelets and blood about 20 years ago–what an easy, lifesaving way to truly help. Scott has donated blood since his high school days. Blood truly is that gift of life.

What do you like to do? 

Elizabeth was bitten by the travel bug after her grandparents shared their joy of traveling. Scott and Elizabeth began traveling with their two children at an early age believing exposure to different cultures and countries was an important part of their education. They love discovering new cultures with family and friends. “Hard to beat a girls’ trip to Italy!” Elizabeth says. Scott has a huge passion for bicycling which fits nicely into their travels. He has raced the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike race for 18 consecutive summers and has his eye on the 20-year race buckle which keeps him motivated to keep pedaling!

 What motivates you?  

It’s amazing how some people are placed in your lives that forever leave an impression. Elizabeth’s best friend’s parents are two of those people. They have dedicated themselves to selflessly serving those around them through their church and various nonprofits for as long as she has known them. No matter how busy they are, they lend a hand, whether financially or rolling up their sleeves to pitch in.

Elizabeth and Scott have tried to lead by their example. Elizabeth served on the PTO Boards of their children’s schools, chaired the school galas, and spearheaded an Adopt a Needy Family program in their schools. Scott serves on several local nonprofit boards including Aggie Park (Class of ’89). They tried to pass on that compassion to their children, leaving the world and community a better place than you found it. “Don’t complain if you’re not willing to do the work yourself to improve the situation!” Elizabeth says. 

Is there anything about your time on the board you would like to share? Most cherished moments, greatest accomplishments, something you are looking forward to?

Scott and Elizabeth have certainly enjoyed their time on the board, gaining a better understanding of how our community is serviced by the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. Their most memorable moment to date was when Scott graced the dance floor Dancing for a Cause for the 2019 Red & White Ball–look out John Travolta! Raising money and spreading awareness of what this incredible organization does has been a wonderful experience for them both.

Red & White Ball Update – May 2022

This year’s Red & White Ball themed The Heart of the Matter is only 5 short months away. Thank you to Elizabeth and Scott McMillian and their committees for a strong start and putting The Foundation on the road to meet this year’s ambitious goal of $500,000 with a reach goal of $750,000.

Funds raised from this year’s event will help meet the rising demand for blood by helping to replace recently discontinued collection equipment and upgrade blood storage and delivery facilities that have not been updated in 15 years. The incoming blood collection devices offer an array of benefits that will not only improve the donor experience with shorter donation times but also help get blood to patients in need faster through real time data and a paperless system.

Adrienne Mendoza, Chief Operating Officer of South Texas Blood & Tissue, explained the new devices are more portable and easy to use as well as 12% faster in blood collection. Setup and labeling is 67% faster and uses one kit and lot number saving time and resources while also being capable of collecting multiple blood components from a single donor with a smaller, more comfortable needle.

Time in the lab for processing is also saved as the red cells that are collected are already leukocyte reduced, meaning the white cells have been removed and there is no further processing required for that collection type. Once testing comes back, the blood is labeled and ready to go out to patients in need.

How can you help?

  • Join a committee – Email Foundation@biobridgeglobal.org your interest or reach out directly to the committee chair
  • Look at the emailed Sponsorship List and let Sponsorship Chair Patrick Rouse know if you would like to assist in an ask you have a connection with or provide background info that could be helpful in making the ask
  • Donate Southwest Airline Points toward a raffle package
  • Donate wine for the wine raffle between now and Friday, September 15. Wine can be delivered to The Foundation offices or picked up by a raffle committee member

2022 Red & White Ball Chairs and Committee members

Elizabeth and Scott McMillian

Sponsorship Committee

Chair – Patrick Rouse

Kate Aldrich

Jeanne Bennett

Morgan Bertram

Alan Gretzinger

Jack Hawthorne

Rich Reynolds

Adam Wetherell

Lisa Willbanks

Decorations

Co-Chairs – Kristen Boerger and Cindy Schneider

Valerie Finch

Jenny Holshouser

Invitations

Chair – Elizabeth McMillian

Meredith Alvarez

Mary Brook

Raffle

Co-Chairs – Laurie Kaplan and Alli Kustoff

Ginny Bennert

Lilly Gretzinger

Carly Hawthorne

Emily Reynolds

Claire Rouse

Rose Urbancyzk

Lisa Willbanks

Registration

Chair – Evita Morin

Champions fore Charity Results

Thank you to everyone who pledged and donated through Champions fore Charity. This Champions season closed out at a record $195,185 with incentives placing The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation once again in the top 10. The Champions committee is proud to say we once again maxed out the 7% match at $10,000 and were also awarded an additional $500 from the Dash to the VTO and $500 for the Zachry Pro Am Top 50.

Emailed and mailed invoices have gone out from Champions fore Charity. Please check your inbox and spam folder or email Adriana at Adriana.vasquez@biobridgeglobal.org should you need your personalized payment link. Deadline for payments is May 20.

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