6th Annual Boots Vs. Badges

Firefighters vowed to take back the trophy, when the 6^th Annual Boots vs. Badges campaign kicked off at SCBB’s headquarters, July 11, 2011. Present at the kick off were various members of Sarasota, Venice and North Port law enforcement and fire department. Sarasota County Sheriff Thomas Knight brought back the trophy and expressed his support to Suncoast Communities Blood Bank.

The competition is fun but the cause if serious.  Donations drop as much as 15% during the summer, but the need remains the same. To support the team of your choice, visit www.scbb.org for the list of official Boots vs. Badges blood drives for dates and locations. Donate at one of these locations and you will be eligible to win an autographed copy of Stephen King’s “The Shining,”, “Hearts in Atlantis,” or “Full Dark, No Stars.”

Two years ago, Alisha Giddens Kromer of Bradenton was in the fight of her life.  She was diagnosed an extremely rare autoimmune disorder that causes blood to leak from the small vessels just under her skin. Alisha was bleeding to death. Being the daughter of a retired Manatee County police officer and sister of a Manatee firefighter, she’s no stranger to courage. Over the last two years, Alisha has received over 500 units of blood products at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Despite all that she contends with on a daily basis, Alisha has a mission she feels passionate about: Raising awareness about the importance of blood donations.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIP

Twenty-eight high school graduates from Sarasota and Manatee counties received a $750 college scholarship, and a reception was held at Mattison's Forty-One on June 16, 2011 where students, families, friends and Suncoast Communities Blood Bank staff and board members celebrated their accomplishments.

The scholarship program is part of SCBB’s Generation2 initiative designed to engage high school students to become advocates of blood donation and serve as volunteers promoting our blood drives, recruiting donors and donating blood at their schools.

In 2011, blood donation in high schools represented 10% of SCBB's overall collections. The highest numbers in blood units collected during the 2010-2011 school year were:

Below are fourteen of the twenty-eight scholarship reciepients who attended the reception. From left to right, back row: Brandon Capdarest, Rachel Peters, Adam Cascio, Caitlin Coviello, Cody Taylor and Adriane Munsey.                                  Front row: Kirstie Faust, Melinn Phifer, Karen Weir, Sara Collins, Kristi Coburn and Taryn Leap.

To All Our Blood Donors

July 7, 2011

Dear Supporter,

Recently, you may have seen or heard local advertisements by Pinellas County’s, Florida Blood Services (FBS), promoting blood drives in Sarasota.  FBS does not supply any blood products to any hospital in Sarasota County.  It is not standard operating procedure for a blood bank to recruit drives in areas they do not serve. It is confusing to our donors, as well as our health care facilities.  When collection is made by a blood bank that does not serve Sarasota, the blood collected leaves the community.  This can put our local blood supply at serious risk for shortages.

Suncoast Communities Blood Bank is the only provider of blood products in Sarasota.  Suncoast does not purchase its blood from FBS. Suncoast relies on our volunteer blood donors to supply our hospitals.  Except in the instance of a shortage, we do not obtain blood products from any other blood bank.

Patients at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and Doctors Hospital of Sarasota rely on Suncoast to provide them with a safe and stable supply of blood products.  Suncoast relies on volunteer blood donors to give the gift of life.  Blood collected in Sarasota, must remain in Sarasota, to meet the local needs of cancer patients, surgical patients and babies born in our hospitals.

Suncoast also supplies blood for Bayflite 2, emergency medical helicopter service, which serves critically ill and injured patients in Sarasota County.  The blood Suncoast supplies to Bayflite 2 plays a vital role in saving the lives of patients in our community being transported to trauma centers.

We appreciate your continued support of Suncoast Communities Blood Bank and the patients we serve. Suncoast thanks you for the tremendous service you provide the community by being a blood donor.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Kevin Lindberg

Chief Executive Officer

Suncoast Communities Blood Bank