By Brenda Erdahl:
Ted Pribyl of Maple Lake has been donating blood since 1978. In 2020 he hit the six-gallon mark and wears a commemorative pin on his shirt pocket with pride. At 63 years old, he said he’s happy to give and does so whenever the American Red Cross is in town.
That’s how he came to be at the Maple Lake American Thursday, Nov. 18, once again extending an arm for a good cause.
The Legion hosts a blood drive three times a year – in March, July and November. This year, the need for blood donors is greater than ever. With Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas not far off, the American Red Cross is heading into the holidays with its lowest blood supply in more than a decade for this time of year.
The ongoing effects of COVID-19 and a summer spike in delta variant cases significantly challenged the nation’s blood supply heading into the fall. The pandemic also resulted in fewer blood drives at schools and colleges, contributing to a 34 percent drop in new blood donors from last year − one of the largest year-to-year decreases and one that could threaten essential medical care for patients, American Red Cross officials said. Locally, the Minnesota and Dakotas Red Cross Region has experienced a 25 percent decrease in new blood donors this year.
To read more about the blood drive and the donors, pick up a copy of the Messenger today!