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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2007
DAYTON, OH — (September 7, 2007) Community Blood Center (CBC) invites you to donate blood on Patriot Day in remembrance of those lost on September 11, 2001 and in honor of those fighting today to protect our freedom. Everyone who registers to donate blood at Community Blood Center, 349 S. Main St. in Dayton, on Tuesday, September 11 will be eligible to win a very special gift made by one of CBC’s dedicated donors, a red, white and blue afghan.
Butler Township resident, Fran Duell, has crocheted over 250 afghans and not kept a one of them. She makes her hand-crocheted blankets for charitable organizations only and refuses to make one for money. Fran, who is one pint short of being a three gallon blood donor, regularly crochets lap blankets for wheelchair bound patients at the Dayton VA Center. She has made afghans for Children’s Medical Center, University of Dayton organizations, Womanline, Elizabeth New Life Center, the Hungarian club, booster clubs at Vandalia Butler High School and the local elementary schools, Habitat for Humanity, and Daybreak. It all started with a request from her sister who worked at Daybreak.
“My sister was an avid golfer and asked me to make an afghan for a golf benefit she was planning for Daybreak,” smiled Fran. Her sister passed away following breast cancer, but that first request made between sisters has lead to years of charitable giving. “My energy rises with the sun and goes down when it sets. I crochet in the evenings.”
It takes Fran two to three weeks to complete one afghan. She plots her projects on a calendar so she won’t miss a deadline. Her two cats keep her company as she sits in her recliner to crochet. Fran learned quick not to leave the yarn out where the cats could get to it after discovering one day that they liked to play with it…a lot. When Fran isn’t crocheting afghans or lap blankets, she is making prayer shawls for her church.
Fran scoffs when you call her a hero. She does it she says because she enjoys it. But at Community Blood Center, she is considered a hero for saving lives with her blood donations and for demonstrating her love and compassion for people through the beautiful blankets she makes.
Fran’s patriotic afghan will be awarded to one lucky blood donor who gives blood at Community Blood Center, 349 S. Main St. in Dayton, on Tuesday, September 11. Donation hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and donors are encouraged to call (937) 461-3450 to make an appointment. Everyone who registers to donate will be automatically entered to win the afghan.
Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions are invited to email canidonate@cbccts.org or call 1(800)388-GIVE.
Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services™, an independent, not-for-profit organization, is registered to ISO 9001:2000. Community Blood Center provides blood products to 25 hospitals in the Miami (Ohio) and Whitewater (Indiana) Valleys. For more information about Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services™, visit www.givingblood.org.
Copyright 2005 Community Blood Center
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