"Vitalant" - Amber Short

Nov. 23: Rotary Project. Tom’s Turkey Drive, at Rosauers groceries at the “Y” and at East 29^th, 8-10 a.m.

 

            Dec. 2: Luncheon meeting at Nectar.  District 5080 President Bob Quay.

 

            Dec. 9: Holiday luncheon at Nectar Downtown. Holmes choir sings.

 

            Dec. 16: Luncheon at Nectar with speaker Josh White, owner of Nectar. Gifts due.

           

            Dec. 23 and Dec. 30: No meetings during the Holidays.

 

            Jan. 6: Luncheon meeting at Nectar. President’s report.

 

            Jan. 13: Rotary Connect, 4:30 p.m. at Helix Wines, 824 W. Sprague.

 

            Turkey time: At least 15 members, family members and guests will help our Rotary Serves project to help with Tom’s Turkey Drive on Saturday, Nov. 23. The club members will help out at the 29^th Rosauers and the Rosauers at the “Y.”

 

            Candid camera: Sgt.-at-arms Dave Hayward fined Dave Petersen –both WSU fraternity brothers – for appearing seven times on camera during the Nov. 17 of the WSU-Idaho State men’s basketball telecast.  Perhaps dentist Dave, a long-time Cougar-watcher, should get one of those “smile shots” that are shown on the Gonzaga telecasts.

 

           

             What’s in a word?

 

            If the word is “vitalant,” the new word is the former Spokane and Inland Blood Bank.

 

            Amber Short, territory manager for vitalant, described the operation at the club’s Nov. 18 luncheon.

 

             Short talked about all facets of blood, including platelets, plasma and whole blood.

 

            “In the Northwest we have great blood donors,” she said.

 

            By joining the Inland Northwest, the large vitalant network expands to 127 donation centers in 40 states, with some 30,000 mobile blood stops a year. More than 1,000 hospitals use blood from the donation centers.

 

            There are three vitalant centers in the Spokane area – 210 W. Cataldo, 10403 N. Newport Hwy., and 12117 E. Mission.

            The vitalant centers started in 1943 at the height of World War II.  The networking helps because the lifespan of platelets is just five days, plasma 28 days and whole blood lasts 42 days.

 

            “Somebody needs blood every two seconds,” Short said.

 

            She added that there has been an overall decrease in blood donations because younger generations are not participating as previous generations.

 

            Short said age is not a barrier.  She knows of one donor, now age 87, who has donated blood since he was 16.  Health conditions generally are barriers to being donors, she said.

 

            Answering a question, she said the centers can no longer “bank” a supply of donations.

 

            For those who can donate blood, Short said the visit lasts just one hour at the mobile drive centers, and the blood for needed donors can be life-saving.

 

            Holmes holiday tags taken quickly

            In a flash, the holiday tags were swept up for “40 for $40” Christmas time gift project for needy students and families at Holmes Elementary School.  Some 15 families will receive gifts.

 

             Happy shopping and wrapping; the wrapped gifts, with the tags outside of each present, are due Monday, Dec. 16.