News Release March 10, 2008
Contact:
Julie Scott
303.361.2873
Bonfils Blood Center
Blood Donor Gives Bonfils Anniversary Gift
DENVER (March 10, 2008) – Many people give traditional anniversary gifts such as paper for one year or gold for 50 years, but one local man chose to give the gift of life in honor of Bonfils Blood Center’s 65th anniversary. On Wednesday, Mar. 12, Emil Schmutzler will give his 520th blood donation making him a 65-gallon blood donor and only the second donor in Bonfils’ history to reach the milestone. Schmutzler will be congratulated by blood center leadership during his donation beginning at 10 a.m. at Bonfils’ Lowry Community Donor Center located at 7901 Lowry Blvd. in Denver.
Schmutzler, now a platelet donor, started giving blood in 1943, the same year Bonfils Blood Center was conceived. Since that time, he has saved or enhanced the lives of up to 1,560 patients.
“Blood donation is simple, painless and just a darn good thing to do,” reflects Schmutzler on his good deed. “It might not be easy for someone else to give 65 gallons, but by giving blood two or more times a year you can help stop blood shortages.”
According to Schmutzler save for new faces here and there and the ability to surf the net during his donations, the biggest change in his donation career is the marked improvement of the safety of the community blood supply. In the early 1940’s only three tests were performed on units of donated blood. Today, that number has grown to 13 blood typing and infectious disease tests, including tests for HIV, West Nile virus and Chagas disease that are performed on the nearly 200,000 annual blood donations collected by Bonfils. These tests along with other safety measures like the prescreening and health history questionnaires have helped to create the safest blood supply in our nation’s history.
Bonfils Blood Center celebrates 65 years of saving lives through its ongoing stewardship of the community blood supply and the instrumental role it continues to play in the lives of patients in need throughout Colorado and beyond. Bonfils Blood Center supplies blood to more than 200 healthcare facilities and needs to collect more than 4,000 blood donations weekly to meet the needs of the community and to be prepared for any unexpected events. For information about Bonfils Blood Center please call 303.366.2000 or visit www.bonfils.org.
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