May/June 2024 Philanthropy Update
Volunteers from San Diego Self Storage join SDBB Development Director Cherryl Castro-Lector (far left) and SDBB CEO Douglas Morton (third from right) at the 2024 Padres Summer Blood Drive.
Dear Friend,
On Tuesday, May 7, San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB) hosted a goal-breaking 8th Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive presented by Sycuan Casino Resort, in the newly remodeled Gallagher Square at Petco Park. As you know, summer blood drives are vital to our blood collection efforts because the supply nationwide dips to low levels due to travel and school closures.
I am happy to share that over 600 units of blood were collected at the Padres Summer Blood Drive —impacting the lives of up to 1,800 patients in need throughout Southern California. Thanks to our blood donors and Sycuan’s continued sponsorship, SDBB has been successful year after year in surpassing past blood collection goals!
We continue our fundraising efforts for the new, permanent Clairemont Mesa Donor Center, scheduled to open in October 2024. Please consider a financial gift for critical supplies and equipment needed to fully equip this new donor center. SDBB looks forward to serving our blood donors in the Clairemont Mesa community, in addition to the many lives impacted through blood donation.
On behalf of San Diego Blood Bank, thank you for making a difference in patients’ lives through your philanthropy.
Many thanks,
Cherryl Castro-Lector
Director of Development
(619) 400-8214
cclector@sdbb.org
MORE THAN 600 PINTS OF BLOOD COLLECTED At PADRES 8TH ANNUAL SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE presented by sycuan casino resort
More than 600 pints of blood were collected at the Padres 8th annual Summer Blood Drive, held on May 7, 2024 at Petco Park’s Gallagher Square. Blood donors received a limited-edition Padres Summer Blood Drive T-shirt as a thank you for their lifesaving gifts. Sycuan Casino Resort also presented San Diego Blood Bank leadership with a check for $15,000 in support of blood collection efforts.
“We can't thank the Padres, our Presenting Sponsor Sycuan Casino Resort, our supporting sponsors, and of course the donors enough for making this annual event successful again this year,” said San Diego Blood Bank CEO Douglas Morton. “We exceeded our goal for this drive and couldn’t be happier.”
“We are extremely thankful to the San Diego community for their efforts in stepping up to the plate to support our eighth annual Summer Blood Drive,” said Tom Seidler, Padres Executive Vice President of Community & International Impact. “Thanks to the generosity of our fans and the support of San Diego Blood Bank, we have been able to touch thousands of lives during this time when donations are crucial as we head into the summer months.”
Since one pint of blood could potentially save up to three lives, the blood collected at this year's Padres Summer Blood Drive could save up to 1,800 lives in Southern California. Since 2017, the San Diego Padres have helped collect more than 3,600 pints of blood supporting thousands of patients in Southern California hospitals.
presenting sponsor
Photo (L-R): Sycuan Chairman Cody Martinez, SDBB CEO Douglas Morton, SDBB Development Director Cherryl Castro-Lector and Sycuan Vice-Chairman Joshua Muse.
Thank you to Sycuan Casino Resort, our presenting sponsor for the 8th Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive! We are grateful for your generous $15,000 gift in support of blood collection efforts. Because of the support of partners like Sycuan, San Diego Blood Bank can bring hundreds of blood donors to make a community impact together—giving the blood supply a boost just when it is needed most. This year's blood drive collected over 600 units of blood. What a success!
With eight consecutive years of saving lives together in Petco Park, San Diego Blood Bank is proud to partner with Sycuan Casino Resort for the Padres Summer Blood Drive. In addition, Sycuan has been a long-time supporter of San Diego Blood Bank, spanning nearly 40 years of partnership.
Thank you, Sycuan Casino Resort!
Special Thanks
Thank you to First 5 San Diego for their continued sponsorship and hosting a booth at the event. We also thank them for distributing coloring books and fun activities for children up to 5 years of age.
Featured Funding Priority
New Donation Location in clairemont mesa at clairemont town Square
Partner with SDBB to save lives in San Diego. Our local donor centers welcome nearly 60,000 volunteer blood donors each year and to meet growing demands, SDBB is expanding its impact in the community through the addition of a new donation location located in Clairemont Mesa at Clairemont Town Square.
Blood collected by SDBB helps those with critical medical needs, from cancer to trauma. Altogether, our donor centers are responsible for collecting 50 percent of our vital blood supply. In response to community needs, and for blood donors to have access to physical donor centers, SDBB has opened a temporary site in Clairemont Mesa.
SDBB is seeking individual, corporate, and foundation support to fund critical supplies and equipment to ensure the new location is fully equipped when the doors to the permanent site open this October.
For more information, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at cclector@sdbb.org or (619) 400-8214.
Thanks to Two New Clairemont Mesa Donor location Corporate Sponsors
Thank you to corporate sponsors MyPoint Credit Union and Pratt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc. Their generous donations to San Diego Blood Bank will help support the opening of our new, permanent donation location in Clairemont Mesa.
Corporate sponsors fund vital resources for blood collection and we are grateful for their support of our lifesaving mission.
connect to life
Blood Donors Meet the Blood Recipient They Helped
Photo: (L-R) Clyde Marion, Mike Usher, Kamila, Christopher Deweese, Michael Kim, and Freedi Martinez.
For the first time ever, a patient and blood donor meet and greet event was held on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Team Survivor member Kamila had the opportunity to meet a handful of blood donors who personally impacted her through their blood donations.
Kamila's mom was overwhelmed with emotion as she met some of the people whose blood donations helped fulfill her daughter’s monthly requirement. Several donors thanked San Diego Blood Bank for giving them a chance to meet Kamila. One donor said, “It was an amazing experience to be able to meet someone who received the donation that I gave. To be able to impact someone like that, it’s pretty amazing. It means a lot to be able to see how this little donation really makes a big impact on someone.”
To date, Kamila has received 175 blood transfusions to treat E-beta thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder. Kamila spends four-to-six-hour days at the hospital for blood transfusions every three weeks and will continue to need transfusions for the rest of her life.
Special Thanks
Photo: (L-R) The Art Pratt Foundation Board Members Don Krupp, Jackie Carpenter, Bob Chalfa, Old Mission Rotarian and SDBB Development Manager Susan Josephson, Old Mission Rotary President Stan Vogelsang, The Art Pratt Foundation Board Members Judi Copeland and Tom Sandler, Kimberly and Anthony Pretto, The Art Pratt Foundation President Lee Kaminetz and SDBB Director of Development Cherryl Castro-Lector.
San Diego Blood Bank would like to express a heartfelt thank you to The Art Pratt Foundation of Old Mission Rotary Club for a grant to fund the purchase of a new sterile welder for SDBB’s Cord Blood program. We truly appreciate your gift!
The grant was made in honor of the Rotary’s Past District Governor Chuck Pretto. Chuck’s wife, Kimberly, and son Anthony, as well as members of The Art Pratt Foundation Board were in attendance.
The new sterile welder will allow our Cord Blood team to connect tubing from cord blood units in a sterile environment much more efficiently. SDBB’s Cord Blood program collects donated cord blood from multiple hospitals in the Greater San Diego region, as well as in the Greater Sacramento Region of California.
SDBB Hosts San Diego Chapter of Executive Women International
Photo (L-R): EWI members Sharon Robertson, Pat Evans, Anna McCutcheon, Jacinta Edwards, SDBB Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Edmunds, EWI members Patt Parsons, Sarah Esch and Karen Spencer.
On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, SDBB had the privilege of hosting the San Diego Chapter of Executive Women International (EWI) for their monthly lunch and a tour of SDBB headquarters and lab facilities. Blood recipient, Mason, was our special guest who shared his story.
Kathy Trombley of EWI wrote, “I have received so many messages this morning from members who expressed how much they enjoyed our meeting and how much they learned during the tour! And, of course, Mason sharing his story touched everyone’s heart!! It is the best meeting we have had in a long while and I thank all of you for helping make it happen.”
SDBB was honored EWI selected our organization for their meeting and are glad they enjoyed their time at SDBB!
To host a lunch and learn for your organization or business, please contact Director of Development Cherryl Castro-Lector at cclector@sdbb.org or (619) 400-8214.
Meet team survivor colleen
When Colleen was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, doctors told her she had between a few weeks and one year to live. During the first year of her illness, she received blood transfusions weekly, and today Colleen is in remission and grateful to be alive. During her long nursing career, she’d administered blood transfusions to sick infants and always thought of blood as medicine. She now sees that donated blood also gives people the gift of time with loved ones. Because of the generosity of blood donors, she can enjoy the things she loves like reading, ceramics, spending time with friends, the theatre, and art.
Colleen is also a member of SDBB’s Community Advisory Committee, helping to educate and inspire our community in engaging new, young, and diverse donors.
special thanks
Thank you to the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors for their $10,000 grant in support of SDBB’s education and outreach efforts around the importance of supporting community health. We are grateful for our continued partnership with the County of San Diego to serve patients in need in San Diego.
June 14 is world blood donor day
Countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) annually to recognize the dedicated blood donors for their lifesaving contributions, to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
SDBB recognizes and celebrates the generosity of blood donors who help patients facing life-threatening illnesses, injuries, and chronic diseases.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in general good health. Eligible blood donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment at SanDiegoBloodBank.org or calling 619-400-8251.
For more information, visit: World Blood Donor Day (who.int)
2022/2023 Impact Report
We are delighted to share San Diego Blood Bank’s 2022/2023 Impact Report that highlights key milestones and collaborations that impacted the health of our community. We are most grateful to you, our financial supporters, for your partnership in saving lives and supporting our mission through your generosity.
SDBB’s commitment to Southern California patients remains steadfast and we are grateful for your loyalty and support.
Please contact Director of Development, Cherryl Castro-Lector, for more information about SDBB and the impact of your financial support. She can be reached at 619-400-8214 or cclector@sandiegobloodbank.org.
Corporate Partnership Opportunities
SDBB is grateful to our corporate partners who are passionate about saving and improving the lives of the patients we serve. They host blood drives, their employees volunteer and give blood, and they give financially to help support our greatest needs such as bloodmobiles, lab equipment, blood collection supplies, and research.
We work with companies and organizations to create mutually beneficial partnership opportunities, and there are many ways to support our work, including:
Making a corporate gift to support a specific need
Sponsoring an event such as our Connect to Life community event
Helping to fund programs like Precision Blood™ or the High School Blood Drive Challenge
Encouraging employee volunteerism
Making a gift in honor of employee volunteer hours
Providing a matching gift for a fundraising campaign
Conducting a point-of-sale or cash register round-up campaign
Fundraise for SDBB by hosting a donor reception, golf tournament, or other event
SDBB recognizes our corporate partners throughout the year in various digital and print channels, on our donor center digital displays (in six of our donor centers), and on our bloodmobiles!
For more information about corporate partnerships, please contact Director of Development Cherryl Castro-Lector at cclector@sdbb.org or (619) 400-8214.
Planned Giving
Philanthropy is personal, and every donor has a unique “why” they give. There are many ways to make a planned gift such as stock, real estate, life insurance, will or living trust, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, and charitable lead trust. SDBB also has an endowment at San Diego Foundation, and we welcome gifts to fund # 4727 (please include the fund number on your check).
For more information about how to contribute to SDBB’s endowment or create your legacy through planned giving to SDBB, please contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at cclector@sdbb.org or (619) 400-8214.
donate your unwanted vehicle
to san Diego Blood Bank
San Diego Blood Bank is partnering with Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise owned by a nonprofit and supporting only nonprofits through vehicle donations. CARS takes care of everything, from the pick-up and sale, to sending you the donation receipt and necessary tax documents. CARS is committed to treating every vehicle donor with gratitude and great service while delivering the highest possible returns to our partners. To date, CARS has returned more than $300 million to their nonprofit partners because of vehicles donors.
Simply click HERE to complete the form, and CARS will reach out to you to arrange the pick-up of your vehicle donation, at no cost to you. You will make a difference in the lives of patients needing lifesaving blood and your generous gift could earn you a tax deduction.
Shop. Donate. Save lives!
While shopping for gifts or everyday essentials, you can also support 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.
GoodShop: 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 San Diego Blood Bank. Your favorite retailers will start supporting SDBB.
Ways to Make a Financial Gift
MONTHLY GIVING — Join our Visionary Circle by making a monthly gift to help sustain SDBB’s mission. Monthly gifts fund SDBB’s annual greatest need. Contact Development Manager Diane Owens at
(619) 400-8336 or dowens@sdbb.org.
GIFTS OF STOCK — Did you know San Diego Blood Bank accepts appreciated gifts of stock with tax benefits for the donor? For more information on how to donate your stock, please contact
Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at (619) 400-8214
or cclector@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. Contact Development Manager Susan Josephson at (619) 400-8320 or sjosephson@sdbb.org.
COMMUNITY AND DIY FUNDRAISING — Partner with SDBB and fundraise with your company or team or for your birthday with a Facebook fundraiser! Contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development, at 619-400-8214 or cclector@sdbb.org.
CHANGEUP — Sign up on changeupforcharity.com, choose San Diego Blood Bank and Changeup will round up your purchases and donate the spare change to SDBB.
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