South Texas Blood & Tissue received a heartfelt welcome from Live Oak and neighboring cities on Wednesday for the official ribbon cutting of the Northeast Donor Center.
Councilmen, young professionals, members of the military, Foundation board members, Chamber of Commerce representatives and even the fire marshal came to greet the newcomer to the community.
Special guests included Maggie Titterington, President of The Chamber; Becki Babcock, President of Tri-Co Chamber; and Anas Garfaoui, Live Oak City Manager.
More than 50 city officials from Live Oak, Selma, and Schertz showered Audra Taylor, Vice President of Blood Operations for South Texas Blood & Tissue, with praise and gifts, thanking the organization for the contribution to their communities.
Robert “Bob” Tullgren, Mayor Pro-Tem, Live Oak, lauded the new center, the Heroes in Arms program and our mission.
“This is one of those stories anyone can relate to,” Tullgren said. “I have a brother with leukemia, and blood is really important…people are donating and we’re taking that donation and continuing that down the line that literally saves lives.
“That goes right in line with compassion and community care, and that’s what Live Oak is about…we are in great alignment with our partnership.”
The new center hosts seven donor beds, three automated machines, seven MacoMixers for whole blood collection and eight staff including Supervisor Olga Escamilla, who has 18 years of experience.
“This new donor center has new donor beds, better parking and accessibility for our donor family,” Taylor said.
The new blood center is located in a prominent area – nearly 500,000 vehicles pass daily – in hopes that traffic will drive more community members to stop and save lives.
San Antonio is one of the fastest growing-cities in the nation, and with its expanding population comes an increased need for blood. The move addresses the urgent needs of one of the quickest growing areas in the region.
According to Taylor, there are plans underway to look for a location in Alamo Heights in 2026.
