January 2021 Philanthropy Update
Dear Friend,
San Diego Blood Bank is grateful for our blood and financial donors and community partners for coming together to help the organization successfully fulfill its mission in unprecedented times. As we begin 2021, SDBB is looking forward to continuing our mission to serve the community and impact thousands of lives this year.
We are excited to announce that with the support of our generous financial donors, we have raised $195,000 and exceeded our $70,000 matching gift challenge from San Diego Self Storage and Anthony R. Carr, Managing Partner. We received 324 gifts from individuals and organizations, including two gifts from our long-time financial partners - San Diego Woman’s Club gifted $25,000 and Las Patronas gifted $73,000.
Together, our financial donors helped complete the funding for one of the two new bloodmobiles - arriving in February 2021! Financial donors play a critical role to provide lifesaving resources that give the gift of life for thousands of patients each year. Thank you!
SDBB’s monthly giving program, the Visionary Circle, is a great way to provide steady funding for our lifesaving services. A new webinar series, and other exciting benefits, will be announced in the coming weeks as SDBB launches a new campaign to grow our Visionary Circle membership. We are grateful for our financial donors — we could not do it without you!
Thank you for your commitment to San Diego Blood Bank, your support truly impacts life! On behalf of San Diego Blood Bank, we wish everyone a safe and healthy New Year.
With gratitude,
David Wellis, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Sherry Serio
Vice President of Development
San Diego Blood Bank is celebrating National Blood Donor Month throughout January by inviting eligible individuals to donate blood and convalescent plasma (CCP) in 2021, with the goal of creating a robust supply that can meet local hospital patient needs.
San Diego Blood Bank is currently antibody testing each blood donation as part of their regular testing panel to qualify donations for (CCP). As this is NOT a diagnostic test, it will not detect active COVID-19 infections or recent exposure. Anyone who donates at a San Diego Blood Bank donation location or mobile drive will receive a special edition T-shirt — the second in a three-part commemorative collection for blood donors.
National Blood Donor Month has been observed in January since 1970, with the goal of increasing blood and platelet donations during winter — one of the most difficult times of year to collect enough blood products to meet patients’ needs.
When you donate at any SDBB donation location or mobile drive, you will receive a limited-edition “Embracing the Present” T-Shirt!
““On top of local demand for blood and COVID-19 convalescent plasma, we are also being called upon to help supply national surge centers with plasma as there is a huge spike in usage across the country. We need our community to come together and donate and there’s no better time than National Blood Donor Month.” ”
To be eligible to donate blood you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 114 pounds and be in general good health. Appointments are required and available by visiting sandiegobloodbank.org or by calling (619) 400-8251.
Save the Date
Every year San Diego Blood Bank partners with the County of San Diego for their annual “Love Your Heart” event. Each of our donor centers serves as a site where the public can get their blood pressure taken free of charge one day in February (no blood donation required).
team survivor
MAKAI
Makai was born 15 weeks premature at a mere 1 lb 8 oz and had low hemoglobin levels. He was required to have multiple lifesaving blood transfusions at Sharp Mary Birch NICU blood provided by SDBB. Makai’s mother, Christy, wishes to personally thank the people who donated blood that saved Makai’s life and she encourages everyone to donate blood to save lives.
join Sdbb’s visionary circle
monthly giving program!
Financial donors impact every aspect of SDBB’s mission, from funding critical resources for blood transfusions to advancing research. Together, we give life and hope for the thousands of patients we impact every year.
To celebrate San Diego Blood Bank’s rich 70-year legacy and sustain our next 70 years of saving lives, we are launching a new 70-for-70 initiative to invite 70 financial donors to join the Visionary Circle in 70 days to grow our monthly giving program.
As a Visionary Circle member, you fund SDBB’s annual greatest needs to ensure critical resources needed for a safe and robust blood supply for our community. Without you, it would not be possible.
Double your impact by asking a friend or family member to match your membership to help us reach our goal.
For more information about the Visionary Circle and the impact monthly giving makes to provide lifesaving services to the community, please contact Lauren Torres, Development Manager, at ltorres@sandiegobloodbank.org or 619-400-8185.
Meet Blood and Financial Donor John Howard
John Howard
John is a long-time blood and financial supporter of SDBB and we reached out to him to find out how he got involved, what motivates him to support SDBB and his thoughts on SDBBs lifesaving programs and services.
Can you tell us how you got involved with SDBB ?
My first whole blood donation with San Diego Blood Bank occurred on June 29, 2001, during a San Diego Padres sponsored blood drive at Qualcomm Stadium. I found out about the blood drive while listening to the Roger Hedgecock radio show on KOGO radio. I made my first financial donation to SDBB on April 6, 2002, volunteered to assist at a blood drive on March 15, 2006 and at Bone Marrow Registry Drive on November 21, 2006.
What motivates you to support SDBB ?
When I changed from whole blood to apheresis blood product donation in November 2004, the number of my visits to San Diego Blood Bank increased, giving me the opportunity to meet and interact with SDBB’s Collection, Foundation, Volunteer, Marketing, and Cell Therapy staff. SDBB’s staff has always been enthusiastic, friendly, professional, and competent. On my blood product donation visits, I always look forward to seeing so many enthusiastic faces.
The vast majority of Americans eligible to donate blood do not donate. Individuals often cite the lack of time, fear of fainting or needles, or unease at the sight of blood as reasons for not donating. Meeting Team Survivor members like Ella Martinez, Kamila Saradpon, and Selena Harris has only made my commitment to blood product donation stronger.
Is there a particular program at SDBB that interests you ?
Absolutely! SDBB’s Cell Therapy Department operates one of the very few public cord blood banks in the United States which I view as a true national health asset. To set up and operate a public cord blood bank in the U.S. is difficult and expensive considering the investment required in people, training, certification, equipment, and ongoing inspections. When you can give expectant moms and their families an opportunity to donate a newborn’s Cord Blood to a Public Cord Blood Bank, the reality is so fantastically wonderful because it allows individuals needing a stem cell transplant a better opportunity to find that lifesaving match.
What would you like people to know about SDBB that they may not know?
Many years ago I attended an SDBB event where the father of a blood product recipient compared SDBB to a person’s heart by stating: “ You don’t think much about it until something goes wrong.“ All to often, we take our blood supply for granted and just assume it will be there when you need it.
Also, the SDBB might appear a pretty straightforward organization, but the requirements to operate bloodmobiles, automated blood collection systems, components, reference labs, and a public cord blood bank are complex and are expensive to operate.
Finally, I think all of SDBB’s blood donors, volunteers, and financial supporters, should be aware of the Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame. Dating from 1998, the Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame, established to recognize and encourage voluntary blood donation. Take a few moments to check it out and read about many inspiring individuals.
special thanks
Thank you to Grossmont Healthcare District for their recent grant of $30,000 to help fund one of two new bloodmobiles, which are vital to implementing SDBB’s Mobile Blood Collection Program and COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) Collection Program. SDBB is truly grateful to Grossmont Healthcare District for their longtime partnership in providing lifesaving blood services to San Diego East County community.
During the 21-year partnership with SDBB, Grossmont Healthcare District has contributed $722,000 in support of SDBB’s capital equipment needs, East County Donor Center, and sponsorship of East County blood drives. We are truly grateful!
health and Wellness
In honor of National Blood Donor month, we are sharing how blood keeps us healthy, alive and thriving. We are thankful for our donors who selflessly give precious blood to patients in need.
WHAT IS BLOOD MADE OF?
Blood is a combination of plasma and cells that circulate through the entire body. It is a specialized bodily fluid that supplies essential substances around the body, such as sugars, oxygen, and hormones.
Red blood cells (RBCs), or erythrocytes: They are shaped like slightly indented, flattened disks and transport oxygen to and from the lungs. Hemoglobin is a protein that contains iron and retains the oxygen until its destination. The life span of an RBC is 4 months, and the body replaces them regularly. Amazingly, our body produces around 2 million blood cells every second.
The expected number of RBCs in a single drop, or microliter, of blood is 4.5 to 6.2 million in men and 4.0 to 5.2 million in women.
White blood cells, or leukocytes: White blood cells make up less than 1 percent of blood content, and they form vital defenses against disease and infection. The normal range of the number of white blood cells in a microliter of blood is between 3,700 and 10,500. Higher and lower levels of white blood cells can indicate disease.
Platelets, or thrombocytes: These interact with clotting proteins to prevent or stop bleeding. There should be between 150,000 and 400,000 platelets per microliter of blood.
RBCs, white blood cells, and platelets are produced in the bone marrow before entering the bloodstream. Plasma is mostly water that is absorbed from ingested food and drink by the intestines. Combined, these are propelled around the entire body by the heart and carried by the blood vessels.
The composition of blood.
WHAT DOES BLOOD DO?
Blood has a number of functions that are central to survival, including:
supplying oxygen to cells and tissues
providing essential nutrients to cells, such as amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose
removing waste materials, such as carbon dioxide, urea, and lactic acid
protecting the body from infection and foreign bodies through the white blood cells
transporting hormones from one part of the body to another, transmitting messages, and completing important processes
regulating acidity (pH) levels and body temperature
Source: “How does blood work, and what problems occur?” (MedicalNewsToday.com)
SDBB in the News
David Wellis, Chief Executive Officer, San Diego Blood Bank
San Diego Blood Bank is proud to congratulate our CEO, David Wellis, on being named one of San Diego’s “most influential people in San Diego” by the San Diego Business Journal.
David is a cell biologist and serves on the Executive Committee of the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute at UCSD, the All of Us Research Program and holds board and committee roles in several national blood bank organizations and local biotechnology companies. Under Wellis’ leadership, SDBB partners with hundreds of researchers on projects related to cancer and regenerative medicine. This past year, SDBB supported multiple partners in the fight against COVID-19 by collecting convalescent plasma.
shop. donate. save lives!
While shopping for gifts or everyday essentials, you can also support the San Diego Blood Bank! Here are a few sites you can use to find those perfect gifts while donating to SDBB to support our life-saving efforts.
Visit smile.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon.com credentials. Choose SDBB as the charitable organization to receive donation and start shopping! AmazonSmile can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones.
Register and choose San Diego Blood Bank as your charity of choice. Then use their search engine to find what you’re looking for and click through to a retailer's site to make your purchase, part of which will go to SDBB.
iGive: This works almost the same way, but you use a button on various retailers' websites. Go through the iGive.com easy registration process and choose The San Diego Blood Bank Foundation. Your favorite retailers will start supporting SDBB.
covid-19 and your health
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country and the world, we all must remain vigilant. The changes we have had to make to routines and daily life are extremely hard, but these changes are even more important now and in the future. The more steps you and your family can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the safer you will be.
The CDC has recommendations on how to slow the spread, how to protect yourself when going out, and much more. Learn more. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/need-to-know.html
Ways to Make a gift
MONTHLY GIVING — Join our Visionary Circle by making a monthly gift to help sustain SDBB for the next 70 years. Monthly gifts fund SDBB’s annual greatest need.
GIFTS OF STOCK — Did you know San Diego Blood Bank Foundation accepts appreciated gifts of stock with tax benefits for the donor? For more information on how to donate your stock, please contact Sherry Serio, Vice President of Development, at 619-400-8188 or sserio@sdbb.org.
MATCHING GIFTS — Ask your employer if your company has an employee matching program. Double your impact and encourage corporate giving to local nonprofits like SDBB.
COMMUNITY AND DIY FUNDRAISING — Partner with SDBB and fundraise with your company or team or for your birthday with a Facebook fundraiser! Contact Lauren Torres, Development Manager, at ltorres@sdbb.org.
To learn more about the many ways in which SDBB’s lifesaving work has impacted the health of our community, see our 2019/2020 Impact Report.
HELPFUL LINKS
SUBSCRIBE
Don’t miss out on special events, philanthropy updates, news, announcements and more by joining the Foundation’s mailing list.AMAZON SMILE
Set San Diego Blood Bank as your charity on Amazon.Smile and Amazon gives when you shop!FINANCIAL INFORMATION
View our Tax ID or important financial information.CONTACT FOUNDATION
Send us a note with any questions about SDBB Foundation, ways to make a gift, or how to get involved.
THANK YOU TO OUR TOP SPONSORS
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
In partnership with our community, San Diego Blood Bank Foundation is the fundraising entity that supports critical resources for blood donations, advances San Diego Blood Bank’s critical healthcare role, and fuels collaboration with cutting-edge research and clinical organizations to advance cell therapy and precision medicine.
