Win a trip to the newly opened US Freedom Pavilion in New Orleans!

From Saturday, May 18 through Saturday, May 25, 2013 donors will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite branch of the Armed Services during this annual week-long celebration of our military.  One lucky donor will win a fabulous trip for two to New Orleans to see the new World War II Museum and US Freedom Pavilion. The trip is sponsored by Setton Farms. Setton Farms is the local producer of “America’s Best Tasting Pistachios”.

There will be two free barbecues this week.  One is during the Armed Forces Day kick-off, Saturday, May 18 from to 11 am to 1 pm, sponsored by the Bread of Life Church at the Truxtun Donor Center. The other is an evening social on Thursday, May 23, from 5-8 pm sponsored by Jake’s Tex Mex also at the Truxtun Donor Center. Also on Armed Forces Day, the Disabled American Veterans will be greeting donors, and Goin’ Postal will accept old tattered flags for proper disposal and provide replacement flags while supplies last.  We hope to see both regular and new volunteers in to donate during Freedom Week to celebrate the men and women who currently serve, or have served, our country in the military.

Kylee Cross is only 12 years old and needs to do two autologous donations before her scoliosis surgery in mid-May. This means she has to donate two pints of her own blood to use during her surgery in case it is needed. To support her during these donations, family and friends are encouraging others to give with Kylee during two Thursday evening socials at our Truxtun Donor Center on April 18 and May 2 from 5 pm – 7 pm each night. Donors can also donate anytime in between and credit Fund 791 so we can tell Scoliosis Strong for Kylee knows how many donors participated.

Before Kylee’s diagnosis she was very active, would swim 20 hours a week and play softball. But one day, when she was out shopping with her mom, she realized she had terrible posture and could not stand up straight. On New Year’s Eve, she found out she had scoliosis. A further MRI discovered Kylee had an unstable neck as well. Her planned surgery will repair these issues. Kylee has had to modify her whole world and learn how to cope with these severe skeletal problems at a difficult time for any young person – adolescence.

Kylee and her family are starting a nonprofit called Scoliosis Strong to help raise awareness about scoliosis and the girls it affects. “The reason I want to have this blood drive, and start a nonprofit organization, is to raise awareness for scoliosis and to comfort girls that have been ripped from their social lives and placed into hibernation, with no one to talk to that’s your age or understand what you are going through”, said Kylee. Scoliosis Strong plans to send care packages to girls suffering from scoliosis, and provide a support group for those coping with scoliosis and facing surgery. To participate, call us at 661-616-2505 or make an appointment online.

The Open House on March 23, 2013 to introduce the public to our new Bolthouse Donor Center was a tremendous success, with about 600 people in attendance.  During a brief program, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Senator Jean Fuller and Mayor Harvey L. Hall all spoke glowingly of what the new building means to our community. We thank former Kern County Supervisor Karen Goh for the excellent photographs she took of the event seen here.  A delicious complimentary BBQ was provided to attendees.

During the event, staff members led groups of the public through on tours, including “behind-the-scenes” where blood is manufactured into various components for transfusion, and stored for distribution to local hospitals, cancer centers and similar transfusion providers. “I enjoyed explaining how our computer network supports the work Houchin does in our community,” says Tyler Stafford, Network Administrator. “I was very pleased that the community supported us with their attendance.  All who toured seemed very interested in what we do,” said Rick Roberts, Lead CLS & General Laboratory Supervisor. Michele Burris, who recently joined us as Director of Technical Services, really enjoyed the event and adds: “The tours seemed to open the public’s eyes to what happens to their blood after they give it.”

The first Thursday of April each year is National Burrito Day, and Del Taco wants to celebrate with our donors! Del Taco will be providing burritos in the canteen for blood donors at the Truxtun Donor Center from 5-8 pm on April 4. Spinning the Del Taco prize wheel will round out the fun.  Everyone will win something, with some donors scoring a $5 gift card for delicious Del Taco food! The real winners are all the patients we can help through this fun evening at the Truxtun center.

Ruth Clark donates at Bakersfield High School.

Blood donors are some of the greatest volunteers in our nation, and so we like to celebrate National Volunteer Week each year to honor them. From Monday, April 21 to Saturday, April 27, 2013 we will be having a special gift basket drawing in both canteens.  Donors can enter to win the gift they want most in recognition of their service to our community. People also volunteer for us organizing blood drives throughout the community, serving donors in the canteen and helping out at special events, mobile drives, and health fairs.

During the 2013 National Volunteer Week we “celebrate people changing the world through service”.  Without blood donors doing exactly that, day after day, pint after pint, people would be needlessly suffering and dying. Thanks to blood donors, lives are changed and saved every two seconds all over the United States.  We are proud to serve local needs for blood components throughout Kern County thanks to our wonderful volunteer donors.

National Volunteer Week began in 1974 and is now a project of the Points of Light Institute and the Hands On Network. The entire month of April is National Volunteer Month.

To encourage young people to consider blood donation as a community service action, we will be celebrating the annual Global Youth Service Day from Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, 2013. According to its website, Global Youth Service Day celebrates and mobilizes the millions of young people who improve their communities each day of the year through service. Established in 1988, Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world, and the only day of service dedicated to children and youth. Youth Service America (YSA) is the organizing group in the United States, and is very pleased to announce that First Lady Michelle Obama is the Honorary Chair for this year’s event.

“On behalf of YSA, our partner organizations, and the millions of young people preparing for Global Youth Service Day, I extend my sincerest appreciation to the First Lady for serving as the honorary chair of Global Youth Service Day. She and the entire Administration are making young people and national service a priority,” said Steven A. Culbertson, President and CEO of YSA. “Mrs. Obama is a role model to so many young people in the United States and around the world, and because of her leadership, more children and teens will step up to begin a lifetime to service on Global Youth Service Day.”To celebrate, we will be encouraging the youth to take part in this event by pledging to give blood twice before September 15, 2013 at either donor center throughout summer. The summer is always a difficult time to keep blood inventories up all over the nation, since high school students provide so much of the supply. Regular donors are also traveling and unavailable to respond. Therefore, we are encouraging the youth to make a commitment during Global Youth Service Day to give blood twice this summer. Pledge to make a difference and save lives by giving. For more information on the event contact Community Development CoordinatorJoy Invina or Community Development Intern Grace Vega at 661-616-2522. To sign up fill out the pledge form below. 

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