FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Because of Our Partners in Life, Anything is Possible

FEBRUARY 12, 2007, SEATTLE — Several King County donors and volunteers were honored for their hard work and dedication at Puget Sound Blood Center’s annual awards luncheon, Partners in Life, held Friday, January 26, 2007. Partners in Life celebrates the numerous ways that donors and volunteers support patients in our community. The award ceremony and luncheon was held at Seattle’s Westin Hotel, 1900 5th Avenue.

Puget Sound Blood Center provides blood to patients at over 70 hospitals and medical facilities throughout Western Washington. This is possible only because the Blood Center can rely on our volunteers and donors. Their commitment is fundamental to meeting the needs of area patients year round.

Those who received awards:

• The City of Seattle – The Blood Center recognizes the City of Seattle and specifically its Seattle Municipal Tower donor group, which held ten blood drives in 2006, averaging 66 registrations at each drive. This group is extremely dedicated and the City puts exceptional effort into encouraging staff to donate during the workday. The group has 16 blood drives scheduled in 2007. Patricia McInturff, Director of the Human Services Department, City of Seattle, accepted the award for Mayor Greg Nickels and the City of Seattle.
• Ronald Schulz of West Seattle – This dedicated volunteer donor is one reason patients in Western Washington can count on a ready blood supply. Ronald has donated whole blood 297 times, over 37-gallons. Ronald was unable to attend the event.
• Gene Melang of the United States Coast Guard, Seattle – Gene is a blood drive coordinator at the United States Coast Guard, Integrated Support Command Seattle where 1,378 donors have been registered since May 1994. Besides inspiring his group to turn out in large numbers six times each year, Gene is also 16-gallon donor.
• Lon Davidson of Edmonds – Lon has enthusiastically supported the Blood Center’s work for four years, helping us achieve one of our most important strategic goals directed at community and business leaders: to increase awareness of the Blood Center’s mission and the value of its important research programs.
• Nathan Hale High School of Seattle – High school students represent a large percentage of our community’s donors. The Blood Center works closely with these teens through its High School Partnership Campaign to promote a lifestyle that includes blood donation. This year over 175 Western Washington high schools held over 290 blood drives registering over 18,600 donors during the academic year 2005-2006. Nathan Hale High School held four blood drives last year, registering 165 donors, more than a 62% increase over the year prior and the highest increase of all high schools. Teacher Heidi Dullum, the school’s drive coordinator, accepted the award.
• Encore Media Group of Seattle – Over the past four years Encore has provided the Blood Center an exceptional level of media support in advertising and event sponsorship, prominently presenting the Blood Center’s message. Paul Heppner, President and publisher of Encore Media, accepted the award.
• Kerry Chesbro of Sammamish – A tireless volunteer, Kerry is not only a regular volunteer at Blood Center drives and donor centers, but he is always ready when needed to fill in on short notice. Kerry not only helps to register donors and make them feel appreciated in the canteen after donating, he is also a 13 gallons donor.

Speakers at the Partners in Life event included Elaine Sonntag-Johnson of Seattle. Since 1990, hundreds of blood donors have helped Elaine Sonntag-Johnson. Elaine has paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare acquired disorder of red blood cells that leads to premature destruction of the cells. There’s no known cause, and there’ no known cure – yet. Because she can’t produce red cells, blood transfusions have enabled her to live a normal life.“ I am grateful for Puget Sound Blood Center and all those who give blood – I hope they know how much they help people like me.” Elaine is now involved in clinical trials showing promise of producing a therapy that does not require blood transfusions.“ And if it wasn’t for blood transfusions all these years, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have an opportunity to be part of this breakthrough,” Elaine says.

Also speaking at the event; Richard B. Counts, M.D., Blood Center president and CEO; Maria Elena Geyer, Vice President, Donor Services Group and John V. Rindlaub, CEO, Pacific Northwest Region, Wells Fargo and the Blood Center’s 2006/2007 Community Campaign Council Chair. Rindlaub introduced the Honorable Gary Locke, former Washington State governor and partner, Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP as the Blood Center’s upcoming Community Campaign Council Chair, 2008/2009.

The photos included with this release are available for use in your publication. Each photo file is titled with the names of those persons in the photo. If you have any questions regarding the event contact Tom Butterworth at 206-292-6511 or pager 206-680-2610.

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