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School Age Child Care (SACC) is a program offered by the Rochester Public School District. The main focus of SACC is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for kids before and after school that need childcare. A secondary focus for the SACC staff is to compete against one another in various challenges. For the third year in a row, the SACC program teamed up with Mayo Clinic’s Blood Donor Program for an annual blood donation challenge. This year, the three summer sites--Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin--all squared off to see who could bring in the most donations.
Spoiler Alert … It was JEFFERSON!
The reason to donate blood is simple--it saves lives. Since blood cannot be artificially manufactured, it is crucial that people in our community come together to donate the blood that helps to keep our patients alive. There are many reasons why someone might require a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, life-threatening accidents occur, along with cancer diagnoses and other underlying blood disorders that require transfusion treatments. Anyone, regardless of their age, may one day depend on the donation of a stranger to help save their life.
This is a situation that Kerry Novotny knows all too well. Her daughter, Shea, received 63 blood transfusions following her diagnosis as an infant with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA). "Prior to Shea’s diagnosis, giving blood was something I did every once in a while when it crossed my mind. Now - it is a very different story! I give as soon as I am eligible, because I know how scary it is to sit in a room and watch someone you love wait for a blood transfusion. I know the anxiety that comes with the “what if's” of a situation that might keep her from getting the transfusion she so desperately needs. I know how grateful I was to the strangers who took time out of their busy days to make sure that there was blood available for someone else - like her - to receive. I view donating so differently now, because I know how valuable a blood donation is," Kerry reflects.
Kerry has designated November 23 - November 25 as the 6th Annual 'Shea Days' Blood Challenge this year! Please join her in celebrating Shea and helping to save the lives of others!
When you come in to donate, please fill out a Challenge Registration Slip at the front desk and place it into the acrylic box, so that your donation will be tabulated for the total count. The goal this year is 63 donations!
How to Donate
For more information about donating blood in Rochester, Minnesota, call (507) 284-4475 or email donateblood@mayo.edu. Or visit our webpage http://www.mayoclinic.org/donateblood.
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