Dear Editor,

We would like to thank all of the people who helped to make our most recent blood drive a success. The Red Cross Blood Drive held in Monticello on February 23rd collected 43 units of blood, which was only one unit short of our goal of 44 units. Thirty-three units were collected as single units and twelve Power Reds, also called Doubles, brought us nearly to our target. While most of the donors were seasoned veterans, we also had two first-timers (Yay!).

Thanks go to your staff for getting the notices out in your newspapers and also to the newspaper and radio station in Monroe. With your help, we had support from not only our fabulous donors from Monticello, but also folks from Albany, Blanchardville, Brodhead, New Glarus, and Monroe. The day started with a rush at noon and stayed very busy through about 3:00 p.m. or so. Some people had to wait a bit to donate, but everyone was very kind and patient and used the time to catch up with friends and acquaintances. By 3:30 p.m. or so, the rush was over and people could get in without much wait.

As always, we had lots of good food at the canteen, thanks to donations from the community. Colony Brands supplied cheese, salami, and chocolate treats. The Monticello Lions donated crackers and milk and also sent members to help with break down, carry out, and clean up at the end of the day. The Ruth Circle of Zwingli Church and Nancy Studer supplied delicious cookies and bars and the Zwingli Church let us use their space for the drive. There were also sandwiches from Subway of New Glarus and “Pint for a Pint” coupons from Culver’s of New Glarus. The American Red Cross brought juice and snacks and bottles of water. We thank all of these establishments and people for their generosity. Rosemary Avery and Lucille Elmer helped in the kitchen, plating the treats and keeping the canteen supplied with food. Thank you, Ladies!

Thank you to all of the people who committed time and energy to make our blood drive a success. It is wonderful to be a member of this community. Please consider participating in our upcoming 2018 drives, to be held on June 1st and October 5th. We would love to see you!

Best Wishes to all from the Monticello Blood Drive Committee