Editor:

Wow! Does this community know how to come together for a great cause. On July 10 the third annual Hodag Mash Blood Drive was held in Pioneer Park in Rhinelander. There was a goal of 125 good units of blood to be drawn. Over 190 donors showed up and donated 165 good units of blood! Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

The need at this time of the year is always great, and these 165 units fill a big void in our local supply. You can feel good that all the blood that was collected will be used locally at the area hospitals. One-hundred percent of the blood used at Ministry Saint Mary’s Hospital is provided by the Community Blood Center. They are the group that puts on the MASH drive. There is a campaign starting that has a “buy local” theme. I like to think that we are a “give local” blood center.

Once again I was overwhelmed by the entire drive. You, the donors, really did your part by showing up strong. My thanks to all of you. But, there are two other groups that are truly amazing. The staff from the blood center put in a very long day-upwards of 14+ hours. They never let up and did an outstanding job. The other group, volunteers, did everything from registering donors, to canteen staffing, to making and serving the luncheon and cleaning up afterwards. High school students spent hours on the street corner “hawking” customers in. Without these two groups, coupled with the donors, this drive would not have worked. The credit for the success of this drive rests squarely on the shoulders of these three groups. I appreciate the efforts of everyone.

This is now an established yearly event, so prepare to “give local” at the fourth annual Hodag MASH Blood Drive next year. Of course, you can always donate throughout the year to the Northwoods Community Blood Center and “give local” on a regular basis.

Thank you for the strong support and the hard work. You succeeded in a grand fashion.

Jerry Shidell, Rhinelander
Coordinator, 2012 Hodag MASH Blood Drive