Giving of yourself to help others

  • Maurice Weidler, BS&W Donor Services Recruiter from Temple, Texas, on the left and San Saba County Emergency Management Coordinator Marsha Hardy on the right helped prospective donors get signed up.
    Maurice Weidler, BS&W Donor Services Recruiter from Temple, Texas, on the left and San Saba County Emergency Management Coordinator Marsha Hardy on the right helped prospective donors get signed up.
  • Blood Drive sign showing donors where to enter for the registration table at the Blood Drive last Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
    Blood Drive sign showing donors where to enter for the registration table at the Blood Drive last Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
  • Baylor Scott & White Blood Donor bus and van from Temple, Texas, were parked and ready for donors at the July 16, 2024, Blood Drive.
    Baylor Scott & White Blood Donor bus and van from Temple, Texas, were parked and ready for donors at the July 16, 2024, Blood Drive.

    San Saba Emergency Management sponsored a Blood Drive last Tuesday; it was held at San Saba’s First Baptist Church.

    A crew from Baylor Scott & White in Temple came to run the blood drive with San Saba County Emergency Management Coordinator Marsha Hardy.

    BS&W brought a crew of five as well as the Blood Donor bus and two vans from Temple. The vans brought the crew. One van left the blood drive around 3 p.m. to take the donated blood back to the main hospital in Temple to be processed. Ms. Hardy explained there is a time frame from when the blood is donated to when it needs to be processed.

    Maurice Weidler, BS&W Donor Services Recruiter, helped Marsha Hardy run the table inside. He has been with BS&W for three years. Ms. Hardy mentioned he got his CDL so he could drive the Blood Donor Bus.

    Background on Blood Drives in San Saba 

    San Saba Blood Drives started January 1, 2002. After 911, there were many folks who wanted to do something to help others. Emergency Management came up with a blood drive idea. Scott & White Temple (now Baylor Scott & White) was the only one who would send a mobile unit out here, and they have been coming out four times every year ever since.

    There have been very few times they had to cancel. One of those times was last January, and that was due to the winter storm. They could not get the vehicles started. In that instance, they recommended folks to go to the next blood drive just down the road in Goldthwaite.

    I asked Ms. Hardy if COVID affected the blood drives. She said masks were worn; hands were washed.

    Stats from this month’s Blood Drive 

    All donors this month received a chance to win many prizes. To find out more information on what those prizes were, see the Newsletter article that came out last Friday. You can find the article on our website. Search for the title: Blood Drive in San Saba.

    July is typically a slow month with vacations and the heat. There were a total of 35 who came to donate last week. There was one walk-in and 11 deferrals/ no shows.

    There were a total of 22 units returned. Thanks, San Saba County, for helping others!