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DECATUR, Ill. (AP) — After donating blood regularly for more than a decade, Cheryl Zollinger knows all the tricks.
In the week leading up to a donation, she'll eat red meat for several meals. She also snacks a lot on raisins, right up until that morning, and drinks a lot of liquids. In fact, Zollinger was carrying a large tumbler of water with her during the blood drive at First United Methodist Church on a recent Saturday.
Zollinger, 56, knows her veins can be difficult to stick, and she does not love the needles involved in giving. Still, she donates regularly every few months.
She does it in memory of her father, a former firefighter who gave blood regularly before his death in 1997.
"When he passed away it was something I wanted to continue for him," she said. "And then when I realized that I had the potential to save three lives every time I donated, it just validated the goodness of it, so it's been really important to me."
Zollinger was one of 21 people who gave blood Nov. 1, said event coordinator Rachel Miller. It was just below the target goal of 23. Members of the church's youth group also donated their time to assist with the drive.
Amercan Red Cross spokesman Ben Corey said it is especially important to give blood in the weeks leading up to winter holidays, when donations tend to drop off as regular donors become busy, travel or cannot give due to inclement weather.
All blood types are needed, especially A negative, B negative and O negative, he said. Someone in America needs a blood transfusion every two minutes.
"Donated blood can be used to help trauma victims, surgery patients, organ transplant patients, patients receiving treatment for leukemia and many others," Corey said. "It's certainly one of the easiest ways to give back to the community. It only takes about an hour of your time to give, and you'll leave with the feeling that you've helped save lives."
The Rev. Kathy King-Nobles, one of the pastors at the church, said she started giving blood regularly this year.
For her, it was a matter of gratitude. She suffered from breast cancer about six years ago, and waited until she had completed her treatment and medications to begin donating.
"I just felt like I was given a gift of no longer having cancer," she said. "I'd like to say 'thank you' to God, and one of the ways is to give to others."
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Source: (Decatur) Herald and Review, http://bit.ly/1qlDjRK
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Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com
This is an Illinois Exchange story shared by the (Decatur) Herald and Review.
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