The Rotary Club of Los Alamos would like to thank the community for its tremendous support of the United Blood Services (UBS) blood drive held July 12-13 at the First Baptist Church. 

As part of the Rotary District 5520 Governor’s Challenge, our Club partnered with the very capable members of the Civitans, under the direction of Luke Ney, and with the Retired Sen-iors Volunteer Program (RSVP), under the leadership of Irene Powell. 

Although the need for blood does not decrease during the summer, the number of donors frequently does. 

Local blood supplies can fall to dangerously low levels, creating a potential health crisis for accident victims, surgical and cancer patients, and newborn babies.

According to the two-day data provided by Shawn Riley, UBS donor recruitment representative, 204 residents came to give blood; 164 were able to give; and a total of 206 units of blood were collected.  

This is well beyond the Los Alamos average, which we were told was 80 units of blood in a two-day period. 

This response is just one reason Los Alamos has been recognized before as one of New Mexico’s outstanding communities for blood donations.

We would like to thank KRSN, The Monitor, the Los Alamos Daily Post and Aspen Copies for their part in promoting the blood drive, and we are especially grateful to all who came to donate, making this such a “phenomenal” success, as Shawn Riley remarked.

Most of the blood collected was used within 48 hours in Los Alamos and other Northern New Mexico communities. 

Each of you who donated has just restored well-being to someone’s life, or, in fact, saved a life this summer.

Sincerely,