This year’s Blood Donor Recognition Banquet was held on April 11^th at the Holiday Inn in Urbana. April 10-15 was National Volunteer Week, appropriately the theme of the banquet was Hail Volunteers! We can’t think of any other group of volunteers that literally give of themselves quite like volunteer blood donors. The annual event is the blood center’s opportunity to recognize donors who achieved specific donation milestones during the past year, and sponsors who have done an outstanding job of supporting the community’s blood program.

Over 350 people attended the event, enjoying a nice meal and music performed by the String Society Artists. The highlights of the evening included speeches by two area patients who received blood on a regular basis. Six year old Katy Hubbell of Fisher and her mom Mary were back to speak about Katy’s bone marrow transplant. At last year’s banquet, Mary promised to bring back a healthy child. . .she kept her word. Devany Drum and her mother, Donna Rebelsky, of Mattoon spoke about Devany’s struggle for survival after eating e-coli contaminated meat. Devany’s life was saved in part by many plasma exchanges performed on her. Devany, whose blood type is a rare ABpos, needed type specific products for her procedures. Thanks to local donors responding to the plea and our national connection with blood centers across the country, we were able to meet her needs. Both Katy and Devany reminded local blood donors what a precious gift they are giving.