News and Events

"When I was in college, I studied abroad and lived with a Spanish family in Salamanca, Spain. I formed an instant bond with them, especially my "Spanish sister" - Yolanda Esteban Lopez - who was three years younger than I. We became as close as if we were related by blood.

PICTURED: Irene and her "Spanish sister," Yolanda, in the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca, Spain, in 1995.

In 2003, Yolanda was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable bone marrow cancer. In an unbelievably sad irony, my own mother had died of the very same cancer years before. Yolanda died in 2005 at just 55 years of age.

As the first anniversary of Yolanda's death approached, I wanted to do something to honor her memory. Because Yolanda required countless blood transfusions throughout her many hospitalizations, I decided to help those who need blood transfusions today. I called Blood Bank of Delmarva and made an appointment to donate on April 12th - the day that would have been Yolanda's 56th birthday. I have donated blood on her birthday every year since and I always leave the center feeling uplifted and encouraged. In my heart, I know that somewhere, somehow, Yolanda knows... and appreciates the gesture."

- Irene L. of Wilmington, Delaware - Blood Bank member since 1972

When Alex and his twin brother, William, were born 3 months early, they each weighed under 3 pounds. Alex suffered an abruption, which means the placenta began to separate from the wall of his mother's uterus before he was born. After birth, Alex was rushed to intensive care at Christiana Hospital and needed blood transfusions to survive. Alex was able to recover and was home by Christmas Day. Both boys are now four-years-old.
View the Complete Newsletter

NEWARK, DE - With the theme "Fuel for Life, Hero for Life," the 6th annual Summer Blood Challenge - a competition among 126 businesses and organizations throughout Delmarva to recruit the most new Blood Bank members and blood donors - ties together the community's need for blood with a desire for FREE GAS. Each day of the summer competition (May 19 to August 30), one participant will be selected randomly and given a $25 gas card.

So far, the following twelve people have won:

John Dale: New Castle County Government
Soheir Girgis: Wilmington Trust
Sherri Lierenz: FlightSafety International
Crystal Lohrmann: Bayhealth Medical Center - Kent General Hospital
Pamela Mayse: New Castle County Chamber of Commerce
Stephen Marynowicz: Delaware National Guard
Robert Taylor: DelDOT
Mark Weinberg: DuPont (picture attached)
Donna Parks: Shore Bancshares
Russell G. Lomax: Sheridan Ford
Heather Gooden: Department of Services - Children, Youth, and Families
Krista Akyollu: Barclays Bank

"I've always been a regular blood donor so it was fun for me to help earn points for DuPont in the Summer Blood Challenge," said Mark Weinberg (pictured above), one of the most recent gas card winners. "Winning a gas card for donating blood is just a bonus, but it was a neat surprise since I never win anything!"

Participants will also earn chances to win great prizes at the end of the competition, including a $500 gas card and a cruise for two to the destination of their choice (some limitations apply).

The Summer Blood Challenge is designed to raise awareness of the importance of blood donations, especially during the critical summer months when fewer people typically give blood. Every day on Delmarva, 370 blood donors are needed to keep the blood supply strong.

For more information on the Summer Blood Challenge and how to get involved, click HERE.

Newark, DE - Howard L. Keener, Jr. has been named Community Development Executive for Blood Bank of Delmarva. He will be responsible for developing Blood Bank membership and donor potential by working with community and business leaders and the Blood Bank's Executive and Regional Boards of Directors.

Keener worked with Blood Bank of Delmarva as a Corporate Associate through a program at the University of Delaware since August 2006. Prior to the Blood Bank, he was the General Manager of Brandywine Flowers, Inc. and Shipley Associates, Inc.

Keener is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Widener University and the University of Delaware where he received a Master's Degree in Business Administration in May 2008.

Keener resides with his wife and two children in Wilmington, Delaware.

Delmarva donors encouraged to take on "LifeSaver" status

NEWARK, DE - Blood Bank of Delmarva will join blood centers around the globe to observe World Blood Donor Day on June 14. This annual event highlights the role blood donors play in saving the lives and improving the health of millions each year. This year's theme is "Giving Blood Regularly" - an effort to encourage blood donors to commit to a lifetime of frequent blood donation.

"Having a strong foundation of Blood Bank members and regular blood donors has helped our organization avoid serious blood shortages that have hit other areas of the country and world," said Carrie Aiken, Blood Bank spokesperson. "More than 370 blood donors are needed every day in this area to support the blood supply at local hospitals."

World Blood Donor Day is a chance to honor Blood Bank of Delmarva members for their commitment to saving lives. Thousands of members are currently enrolled in the plateletpheresis program and donate platelets (a component of blood critically needed to treat people with leukemia and cancer) as often as every two weeks. There is also a "LifeSaver" program in which nearly 31,000 Blood Bank members have signed up to be "on-call" when there is an extra need for their blood type.

The Blood Bank encourages everyone to celebrate World Blood Donor Day by making an appointment to give blood at one of the 31 convenient locations on Delmarva. Click HERE to request an appointment.

Listen to the WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY TRIBUTE SONG!

WILMINGTON, DE - City of Wilmington Chief of Staff Bill Montgomery has challenged other city police officers and city leaders to give blood in a "Blood with Bill" event at the downtown Wilmington blood donation center.

"Blood with Bill" is held in support of the Blood Bank of Delmarva's 6th annual Summer Blood Challenge, a Delmarva-wide competition among 126 area employers to recruit the most blood donors and Blood Bank members. The City of Wilmington has competed in the Challenge since 2004.

With the theme "Fuel for Life, Hero for Life," the Summer Blood Challenge is designed to raise awareness of the importance of blood donations, especially during the critical summer months when fewer people typically give blood. Every day on Delmarva, 370 blood donors are needed to keep the blood supply strong.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 10
7:30am - 12pm

WHERE: Blood Bank of Delmarva
913 North Market Street (9th Floor)
Wilmington, DE

City of Wilmington Police Officers and VIP's: Donation Schedule

7:50 Michael Horgan, Jr. - Firefighter and police officer
7:50 Brian McCanney - Police officer
8:00 John Santiago - Police officer
8:10 Patrick Bartolo - Police officer
8:10 Tavis Miller - Police officer
8:20 Kenneth Dean - Police officer
8:30 Michael Coleman - Police officer
8:40 Alexander Marino - Police officer
8:50 Lorne Peterson, Jr. - Police officer
9:00 Christopher Cain - Police officer
9:30 Jeffrey Flynn - City of Wilmington, Deputy Director of Economic Development
9:50 Beverly Zimmerman - City of Wilmington, Office of the Mayor-Cultural Affairs
11:20 Bill Montgomery - City of Wilmington, Chief of Staff
11:40 Paula Gatos - City of Wilmington, Personnel Administrator
11:40 Monica Gonzalez-Gillespie - City of Wilmington, Director of Personnel

More than 11,000 students and faculty signed up to donate during 2007-2008 school year

Click HERE for photos from the 2007-2008 school blood drive season.

NEWARK, DE - Students at 67 high schools and 9 colleges across the Peninsula provided more blood donations and attended more school blood drives this school year than ever before. A total of 6,684 donations were collected at 115 school blood drives from September 2007 to May 2008 - up more than 5% from 6,340 donations the previous school year.

"I am thrilled by the success of the school program," said Lauren Bacon, the Blood Bank's school program coordinator. "It's phenomenal to beat last year's numbers by more than 5% considering that too was a record-breaking year."

The program started in 1984 with just 140 donations at two schools. Today the program is critical for attracting younger donors to become lifelong blood donors. Currently less than seven percent of all Blood Bank members are under the age of 35. By giving first-time donors a good experience, the Blood Bank hopes to reverse this trend on Delmarva.

"The growing success of our school blood drive program shows that teenagers and young adults do care about the community and want to help," said Bacon. "Because of the tremendous support and cooperation among students, faculty and the Blood Bank staff, school blood drives consistently contribute eight percent of all the blood donated on Delmarva."

Students help plan and promote the drive, recruit donors, set up equipment and serve refreshments in the canteen during the blood drive.

Students, their families and friends can continue to give blood and get credit for their schools this summer by filling out a HERO card at any Blood Bank location through August 31, 2008.