News & Events | Port Angeles Donors and Volunteers Honored by Puget Sound Blood Center

DECEMBER 4, 2003, SEATTLE — It is through the collaboration of many people – blood donors, blood drive coordinators, entire high schools and more – that the gift of life is made available to countless people in our community who need blood transfusions. In recognition of the selfless contributions of time, organizational skills and the other talents of local residents, the Blood Center will host an awards luncheon in their honor in Port Angeles on Dec. 11.

The event, Partners in Life, celebrates the numerous ways that donors and volunteers support patients in our community. More than 207,000 blood donors stepped forward last year to give blood and save lives. This gift efficiently arrives at the hospitals that need it through the help of many other volunteers. Their duties range from organizing blood drives to recruiting new donors. Patients who benefit from a steady and available blood supply, of course, include those receiving care at Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles.

The award ceremony and luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Red Lion Crabhouse, located at 221 North Lincoln in Port Angeles, Wash. Featured speakers will include Richard Counts, M.D., president of Puget Sound Blood Center and Hailey Fox, a recipient of blood transfusions.

Dr. Counts and Maria Elena Geyer, director of Donor and Volunteer Resources, will present five awards to distinguished groups or individuals. Local award recipients will be Port Angeles High School, Blood Drive Coordinator Jack Foote, volunteer Joan Reichardt, veteran blood donor Dave Kalpousos, and Crescent High School, which contributed the highest percentage of blood donations for its size.“

The Blood Center values the opportunity to recognize our Partners in Life – the men and women of Port Angeles who make it possible everyday to maintain one of the nation’s most stable blood supplies,” said Geyer. “Especially with the holiday season, when the spirit of giving is high, it’s important to remember that without these generous people, it wouldn’t be possible to save lives in our community. We hope the awards we’re presenting can begin to communicate the level of our gratitude.”

The awards, hand-blown glass vases created and donated by renowned Seattle glass artist Ginger Kelly, will be presented during the luncheon.

Port Angeles High School will be the recipient of the Donor Group Award for its contributions to the community blood supply. The high school averaged 90 donors at each blood drive for the past five years and holds three blood drives annually. Throughout that time, the high school has reached out to students, educating and encouraging them about the value and importance of making blood donations.

Port Angeles resident, Jack Foote has been the embodiment of reliability and dedication to the Blood Center over the years. He will be this year’s Donor Group Coordinator Award winner. As a drive coordinator at Port Angeles High School prior to assuming the role at the Port Angeles Community blood drives, Foote has been a fixture in the community over the years. Under his tutelage, there has been a steady growth in blood drives, with approximately 13,000 donors being registered over the past 12 years.

The prestigious Volunteer Award will be presented to Joan Reichardt, a Blood Center volunteer since 2000 who coordinates two Sequim community drives at the Port Angeles Elks Lodge each year. In addition, she also volunteers at community blood drives in Clallam and Jefferson Counties – at Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Hadlock. Beyond simply coordinating these drives, Joan is a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for blood donation, frequently persuading community members, friends and family to donate in the process.

Dave Kalpousos, a Sequim resident and frequent blood donor who has donated 155 units of whole blood and 49 units of platelets, will be presented with the Donor Award. Kalpousos’ generous donations over the years have had the potential to save more than three hundred lives in Western Washington. His exemplary contributions serve as testament to the impact that one person can have in the community.

Finally, Crescent High School in Joyce, Wash., will receive the High School Award for outstanding contribution to the local blood supply. The school had the highest percentage of donors by school size – registering an incredible 311 percent of their population in 2003. Across the state, an impressive 17 percent of the community blood supply comes from high schools – where the future regular adult donors are created. Crescent’s outstanding results, in part, make a stable blood supply possible, today and in the future.

About The Puget Sound Blood Center
Internationally recognized for groundbreaking research in transfusion and transplantation medicine, the nonprofit Puget Sound Blood Center is the resource for patients in Western Washington who need blood, tissue and specialized laboratory services. Founded in 1944, and celebrating 60 years of innovation, the Blood Center has a long and unique tradition of blending community volunteerism, medical science and research to improve patients’ lives. The Blood Center, which serves patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics in 14 counties with blood services, provides tissue and transplantation support to 185 hospitals across the Northwest.