The Gift of Life

The first Rotary Club of O’Fallon Red Cross blood drive was held in January of 1985. Fr. Don Eichenseer was a Rotarian and the Blood Drive Chair, and volunteered to host the drive at St. Clare School. We’ve held two drives per year at St. Clare over those 38 years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most other service organizations that regularly hosted drives cancelled theirs. In that time, our Blood Drive Chairs have included:

• Fr. Don Eichenseer  1985 – 1994

• Bud Ross  1994 – 1997

• Allen Medford  1997 – 2006

• Rick Ragsdale  2006 – present

The Chairs don’t do all the work. They rely on the support of other members and Red Cross staff to make these events a success, and a success they have been. The following data drives that point home:

• Documented Fr. Eichenseer report dated June 4, 1990 and amended: 1985 through 6/1994, 1,110 units for 52.6 average units per drive

• Documented Allen Medford report 1985 through 12/2000, 1,731 units for 52.5 units per drive

• Records are incomplete from 1/2001 through 12/2007. We would have held 16 drives during that period. Assuming that average production per drive fell from the 1985 through 2000 of 52 units, to the 2008 and later average of 23 units per drive, we can guesstimate average production from 2001 to 2007 was 37 units per drive. 37 units X 16 drives = 592 units

• Online Red Cross data reporting began in 1/2008, and through 12/2023 we collected 663 units for 23.6 average units per drive

So, an estimate of units collected from 1/1985 through 12/2022 would be 1110 + 1731 + 592 (guesstimate) + 663 = 4,096. Each unit of blood can be broken down into products that can benefit three people, so an estimate of the number of people our club has helped is approximately 12,288.

As for Rotarians’ service hours, an estimate would be four Rotarians working seven hours, or 28 hours per drive. We’ve held 76 drives over the 38 years, so the total would be 2,128 hours.

 Thank you to all the Rotarians who’ve made this partnership such a success over the years!

Rick Ragsdale
Blood Drive Chair