News Release March 14, 2006

Local Man to Donate 60th Gallon of Blood Mar. 21
Emil Schmultzer will be Bonfils’ second 60-gallon donor

For more information contact:
Julie Scott 303.361.2873
Bonfils Blood Center

DENVER (March 14, 2006) - On Tuesday, Mar. 21, Emil Schmultzer will become the second person in the history of Bonfils Blood Center to donate 60 gallons of blood. Schmultzer, who began donating with Bonfils in 1943 has saved or enhanced the lives of up to 1,440 patients throughout his donation career. Although Schmultzer was the first Bonfils donor to attain the 50-gallon milestone, he was surpassed when platelet donor Bill Cell reached the 60-gallon mark on Aug. 18, 2005 at 9:30 a.m.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Bonfils Blood Center will hold a recognition celebration at the completion of his donation. Schmultzer is a regular donor at the Lowry Community Donor Center located at 7901 Lowry Blvd. in Denver.

In honor of his achievement, Schmultzer will be awarded a special Bonfils ruby lapel presented by Jessica Maitland, senior vice president of Bonfils Blood Center in front of the phlebotomists who take care of him every two weeks. A short reception will follow the presentation.

A donor must give 480 pints of blood to equal 60 gallons. A whole blood donor is only able to give blood six times a year, so it would take 80 years at this rate to donate the required 480 units. Schmultzer, a platelet donor, is able to donate more frequently, up to 24 times per year, so the milestone can be reached in a shorter amount of time. It can take up to two hours to donate platelets, so the time invested at each visit is greater.

For more than 60 years, Bonfils Blood Center has supported the community blood supply and has played an instrumental role in the lives of patients in need throughout Colorado and beyond. Bonfils Blood Center supplies blood to more than 115 healthcare facilities and needs to collect 4,350 blood donations weekly to meet the needs of the community and to be prepared for any unexpected events. For information about scheduling a blood donation, please visit www.bonfils.org or call (303) 363-2300.