Residents help others through blood drives

The American Red Cross conducted a three-day blood drive in Sanders County last week. The drive consisted of three locations on three separate days, two in Thompson Falls and one in Plains. The first of the three was held at St. William's Catholic Church in Thompson Falls on Tuesday afternoon. The drive at the Catholic church got help from a couple church volunteers, including Alice Wozniak and Jim Krogman, head of the Knights of Columbus. They saw about 20 people donate blood. "We just help where we can," Krogram of the church volunteers. "That's what we do."

The second blood drive was held at the Plains VFW Wednesday between noon and 5 p.m. where they had another 20 donations. According to Nora Verpoorten who works with the VFW Auxiliary and volunteers in the building, the post hosts a blood drive every year.

Thursday was the last day of the drive and was held at the high school in Thompson Falls. The drive lasted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and saw a similar number of people as the other two.

Interested parties were able to pre-register and schedule a time to come in, however, the blood drive also accepted walk-ins. Those who donated were required to report if they received the COVID-19 vaccine. According to their website, the Red Cross will accept blood donations from people who have been vaccinated, as long as they receive documention on when and where vaccines were provided. After that, participants were given a basic physical exam to determine their eligibility. Blood was then taken, and snacks and drinks were provided to help stabilize participants' blood sugar levels.

For those who were unable to attend the drive but wish to donate blood, visit the website redcrossblood.org. It shows locations of other drives and allows people to schedule appointments to give blood. According to the site, this is an especially difficult time to get blood for those who need it due to the pandemic, so they urge anyone who can to donate.

More information about donating, blood in general and the Red Cross can be found on their website.