January is National Blood Donor Month

Rosenbauer America employee Jenae Klein takes time out of her day to donate blood. Rosenbauer America has worked with Sioux Falls Community Blood Bank for over two decades to donate blood to help those in need. (Photo/Submitted)

Sara Stadem | Editor

As many see January as a time to start their year off with a New Year’s resolution of starting to exercise or maybe to start eating healthy, January also kicks off the year bringing awareness to a lifesaving topic. January is National Blood Donor Month.
According to the American Red Cross website (redcross.org), January has been celebrated as the National Blood Donor Month for nearly 50 years which coincides with one of the most difficult times to maintain a sufficient blood supply for patients.
Currently the American Red Cross is facing its worse blood shortage in over a decade which is posing a concerning risk for patient care, according to their website. They went on to further explain what is causing the blood shortage crisis which consists of:
-10% overall blood donation decline since March 2020
-62% drop in college and high school blood drives due to the pandemic. Student donors accounted for ~25% of donors in 2019 accounted for just ~10% during the pandemic.
-Ongoing blood drive cancellations due to illness, weather-related closures and staffing limitations.
-Additional factors like a surge of COVID-19 cases and an active flu season may compound the already bad situation.
Today, we take a look at one local business and our local schools that are doing their part to assist with the blood shortage crisis.
Rosenbauer America has had a longstanding relationship that has lasted many years that started with a phone call asking if Central States Fire would host a blood drive, according to Rosenbauer America employee Jenae Klein. She continued to explain that Sioux Falls Community Blood Bank is who Rosenbauer has worked with for over two decades for the blood drives with Lauri Hoffmann as their Coordinator with Sioux Falls Community Blood Bank.
Klein explained the community blood bank has been coming to their location since before 2002, when it was called Central States Fire Apparatus, and comes to their location approximately two to three times a year.
During the blood drives at Rosenbauer, Klein said the average number of donations per drive is 35 with each pint donated being able to possibly help save three lives.
When asked why having the bloodmobile at the campus for their employees important to Rosenbauer, Klein said, “The convenience of having the bloodmobile on site makes it so more people can donate and not have to plan a time while not at work to donate.” She continued, “It is a small way that we as a company are able to give back to our community in a small way to make a big difference.”
“Rosenbauer will be building the Sioux Falls Blood Bank and new bloodmobile this year,” Klein said. She concluded, “Still in the very beginning stages, but that will be exciting for them to get a new truck to continue to do blood drives and help save lives!”
The West Central FFA and Hartford Fire and Rescue have hosted the Sioux Empire Bloodmobile since the mid to late 1990’s, according to FFA Advisor Linda Petersen. Petersen continued to explain that West Central generally hosts the bloodmobile once or twice a year, usually in November or May.
Petersen confirmed that students at West Central donate as long as they meet the age, weight and health screening requirements. “Community members donate during our drives as well,” Petersen said. “I would say that the bulk of our donors are students.”
The Tri-Valley School District has also done their part with hosting bloodmobiles in order to give students and staff the opportunity to donate blood, according to Student Council Advisor Amber Fluth.
“We have been doing a blood drive for the past 17 years that I have been the Student Council Advisor but I believe this was an event even before I started,” Fluth said.
Fluth further explained both students and staff at the Tri-Valley school donate. Fluth also confirmed that students are able to donate as long as they meet the requirement of being 17 years old or 16 years old with a signed parent consent form and they need to weigh at least 110 pounds.
According to Fluth, the Sioux Falls Community Blood Bank is also who comes to the Tri-Valley School District which comes twice a year. The student council sponsors the fall blood drive and the FFA sponsors the spring blood drive, Fluth explained.
Fluth concluded, “The students see hosting blood drives as an important event which allows a convenient location for our students and staff to give life-saving blood back to the community.”
For more information on how to donate at the Sioux Falls Community Blood Bank, please visit http://cbblifeblood.org/.