Big turnout heartens blood drive organizers in
Lacey
70 give at Lacey Community Hall
Posted at app.com on Jan 22, 2011
LACEY — Toby Sweeney
listened to National Public Radio's
"Car Talk" program on her iPod as
she gave blood during Saturday's Forked
River Rotary Club blood drive.
The Barnegat resident was one of about 70
people who rolled up their sleeves to help
the Red Cross during the Rotary Club's
annual blood drive at the Lacey Community
Hall on Route 9.
"This could be our best year
yet," Rotarian Tony Angona said. He and
fellow club member Donald Bochicchio helped
organize this year's blood drive and were
assisted by 10 other volunteers.
"The Red Cross volunteers came in to
set up at 6 a.m., and we started at 8 a.m.
Our original goal was 40 people, but we
pushed up as we had more people register for
an appointment," Angona said.
"It has been running pretty good all
day," Bochicchio said.
"I haven't given blood since high
school, but I'm a new member of the Barnegat
Rotary and I wanted to help out. They are
good people, and this is a good community
effort," Sweeney said.
Another Rotarian, Dr. Tom McGillick, said
he was involved in starting the first local
Rotary blood drive back in 1995 when he
served as the group's community service
director. "I'm glad it worked out well.
Rotary is a service organization, and this
project is quite a service."
The Rotary partnered up with the Walmart
in Lanoka Harbor, which allowed its
employees to come over to the hall on
company time to donate blood during the day.
Walmart employee John Payton of Barnegat
was among the donors Saturday.
"I used to donate when I worked at
Wawa, and so when they asked us to do it
here, it was no problem," he said.
Payton said he knew of at least 20 other
employees at Walmart who said they were
planning to give blood during the day.
Bochicchio said the blood drive normally
takes place in early December, but a blood
drive in northern New Jersey diverted Red
Cross resources, forcing postponement of the
Forked River event until this month.
Anthony Tornetta of the Red Cross
Philadelphia office said Saturday that
conducting the blood drive in January was
beneficial.
"The Rotary always does a great job
in their communities and helping us with the
need for blood," he said. "This
time of year is extremely difficult for us
to collect blood. People are impacted with
weather conditions, which often cause the cancellation
of some of our blood drives. That inhibits
our ability to collect blood."
He also said the Red Cross depends
heavily on schools as setting for blood
drives and which are often closed due winter
storms. Tornetta said students who are 17
years old can give blood, but 16-year-olds
need their parents' consent to give blood.
"Across our region to maintain our
supplies we are seeking 1,200 units per day.
Typically we run drives 363 days a year.
This year, we even had a donation center
open on Christmas Day in Philadelphia. It
seemed appropriate as blood is the gift of
life," Tornetta said.
