ASBP Blood Drive
U.S. Army Reserve Center, Whitehall, OH

Saturday, December 17, 2011 - Sponsor: AmVets Post 89 and American Legion Gahanna Post 797

Setup Briefing. TSgt Hoopnarine, the NCOIC, outlines for the ASBP group
how the blood drive equipment is to be set up.

The first step in donating blood. Volunteers register by a) showing their identification, b)signing the registration log, and c) filling out the paperwork, including details of any travel outside the U.S. before 1980.

The second step. Vitals are taken of the registrant. This includes temperature, blood pressure, and iron count. About 18 percent of the volunteers are deferred at this station.

Step Three. Volunteers are interviewed privately and asked a series of questions on diseases they either contracted or were exposed to in the past, and their general health. Another five percent of the volunteers are deferred at this station.

Step Four. An ASBP team member reviews the registration for
quality assurance with the voluneer.

Step Five. A pint of blood is taken from the voluneer.

Step Six. FOOD! Sponsors for these blood drives typically fix sloppy joes or
pulled pork sandwiches, coney dogs, cole slaw, baked beans, small pies and cookies...
In the morning, there are donuts, cookies, fruit, and small cakes.

Pictured here donating for the Armed Forces is Rich Richardson, a Legionnaire with
Worthington Post 239 (Leasure-Blackston), and also the district commander
for the Legion Riders in Central Ohio..

Also attending the drive was the Google for Veterans group in Ohio. In this new program, grateful patriots are recorded giving half-minute tributes and thanks to the Armed Forces. These shorts are later posted by Google on Youtube. Pictured here being briefed is Jason Dominguez, Assistant Director of Veteran Affairs to Governor John Kasich. Having just donated a pint, Jason is told by the Google workers  how his tribute will be put on the Web.

Two members of the steering committee for these blood drives in Central Ohio. At left is
the incomparable Jodi Andes, whose articles in the Columbus Dispatch in the summer of 2007 helped persuade the Dept. of Defense to change a 55-year old policy and allow the public to donate blood to the Armed Forces in time of war. At her right is Carol Pagnanelli who, along with her co-hort, Hank Bobulski, organized the first wildly tremendously successful ASBP blood drive for the Armed Forces in May, 2007 (See link) .

 The blood drive over, the élite Midwest ASBP crew out of Wright-Patterson AFB swiftly and efficiently packs up the equipment for the quick drive back to base, so that the precious blood collected can be immediately processed for immediate shipment to units in the Middle East.