Successful blood drive leads to another, coming soon

As Robben Thompson settled into a recliner at the We Are Blood mobile unit April 2 to donate blood, her phone beeped with text messages from people wanting to join her.

Thompson, through her employer J.M. Huber Corporation, organized the drive, which took place at St. Frederick’s Baptist Church in Marble Falls. Donors had already filled all 27 spots, she told them.

“Everybody’s days are like mine – disjointed,” she said. “(The night of April 1), I had people asking me ‘is it too late to sign up?’ It’s a wonderful problem to have.”

The number of people who contacted Thompson about donating blood propelled her to organize another drive, which will happen in a couple of weeks at the same location – the parking lot at St. Frederick’s Baptist Church, 301 Ave. N in Marble Falls. The date and time are still to be determined.

Thompson was inspired to set up the blood after reading the news about COVID-19 causing blood shortages.

“Evidently a lot (of people) who are regular donors and go every eight weeks, who are the backbone of the blood bank system, are hesitant to go out,” she said. “They don’t understand that blood is a good reason to be out in the streets.”

She took it upon herself to lead and recruit people to donate.

“If you lived within a 20-minute-or-mile radius from Marble Falls, you got a text,” she said of her efforts. “If they lived within 25 miles of town, they got an email with the flyer attached.”

By April 1, all the available spots were taken.

Organizing a blood drive is easy, Thompson said. Simply go to the We Are Blood website and click on the button that reads “Host a Blood Drive” under the Ways to Help tab.

We Are Blood serves 10 counties in Central Texas including Burnet and Llano counties.

For more on how COVID-19 is affecting the Highland Lakes, visit the DailyTrib.com coronavirus resources webpage.

jfierro@thepicayune.com