In 2006, a group of local citizens met to brainstorm a solution to a problem — a big decline in the number of blood donations.
Through the efforts of what began as a tiny group of dedicated folks (nine at the outset), the Waycross Area Blood Drive Volunteers (now numbering two dozen), Waycross has become the top blood-giving community in Georgia.
Soon after that initial meeting 20 years ago last week, the average of monthly donations was turned around ... and in a big way.
In 2005, Ware County was in the state’s bottom 10 percent in blood donations. Today, the Waycross Community Blood Drive is the most productive monthly drive in Georgia.
Waycross blood drive volunteers Caroll Herrin (left) and Darlene Lynn cheerfully wait to sign register donors at a recent event. SPECIAL PHOTO
The next drive is Monday, April 27. The sponsor is PrimeSouth Bank, literally one of the top corporate sponsors.
Their financial help will enable blood donors to win many cash door prizes at random, including $100 and several $50s.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Al Jacobson organized the committee,” said Gary Griffin. “I’m happy thinking how many lives have likely been saved through the efforts of local blood donors. I’m sure there have been many thousands.”
Jacobson and Griffin encountered one another at a blood drive in March 2006 and they chatted about how blood giving in the community had declined.
“The longer we talked, the more agitated Al became,” Griffin recalled. “If you knew Al (who died five years ago), you know how determined he could be. By the time we’d both finished giving blood that day, he told me, ‘put an announcement in the newspaper that we’re going to have a meeting at my real estate office and all citizens concerned about improving blood donations need to make plans to attend.’” Attending that April 18, 2006 meeting were Jacobson, Griffin, Newton Bates, Lynne Jacobs, Eddie Lee, Jimmy Brown, Perry Blackburn, Lorraine Carswell and Vicky Sellers. Jacobs and Griffin are still active volunteers.
Jacobson was elected chairman and Jacobs was named secretary. Lee was co-chair. Griffin said in the 1990s, local Red Cross drives had been productive.
“I’m guessing we probably averaged 60 a month,” he said. “People were accustomed to the drives being the same day and time every month, the same location, too. Central Baptist Church allowed the Red Cross to use their activities building. Lorraine Carswell and Belle Evans, Pink Ladies, always ran the sign-in table. And it was just a good thing ... it had a kind of a family feel.
“There was a big bell on the sign-in table, and whenever a donor reached a milestone, like a gallon of blood (given), Belle or Lorraine would ring that bell and everybody in the room would cheer.”
When the Red Cross drives stopped being held at the church, the locations changed month to month along with dates and times. Frustrated, faithful donors stopped making the effort to give and donations fell.
The citizen committee began to grow and come up with ideas. A permanent location was found at the Memorial Stadium Community Room.
Once the group implemented an organized game plan, blood giving rose steadily — 59 units per month — 67 units — 89 units by 2007 and a whopping 106 units per drive average in 2008.
Jacobson courted the Waycross Exchange Club to donate the use of their meeting hall. The club agreed. And he convinced the Red Cross to extend the hours of the drives from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The drive quickly climbed the ladder and became No. 1 in Georgia and No. 29 nationally. It remains tops in Georgia.
The apex of donor participation came November 24, 2012 when the drive was held in the name and for the cause of a Pierce County teenage cancer patient. More than 300 attended. Monthly giving remained solid for years, but over the past decade it started slipping.
“So many of our good donors have passed away,” Griffin said. “And younger generations aren’t as dedicated.”
In addition to new donors, new volunteers also are needed.
“It’s a good way to volunteer if you’re looking for an opportunity to give back. Just come to a drive and say, ‘Here I am!’ We’ll be glad to see you,” Griffin said.
