Lincoln Blood drives sees surge in donations during last year

The American Red Cross comes up to Lincoln every eight weeks to host a blood drive. If you've donated at one of these drives in the last two years, you've likely met Sherry Sidell, Sue Anderson and Ellie Schouten, the trio that coordinates Lincoln's blood drives.

Sidell had previously worked on blood drives in Seattle more than three decades ago.

"This is a little bit different because it's a smaller community, and we didn't have computers back then," Sidell said. She said she got started as a volunteer making phone calls and then checking people in.

"I just felt there was a need, and I wanted to fill it. When I was in Seattle, I used to be a cab driver. We'd get blood bank calls to where we'd have to get to the blood bank and pick up a donation of blood and get it to the hospital ASAP. So, I think that's probably what sparked my interest in donating blood and realizing the importance of saving lives," said Sidell.

In the two and a half years since Sidell took over coordinating the drives, Schouten figures donation appointments have more than doubled.

"When we started, our numbers weren't very good. We had lots of blank spaces. Sherry has done a lot of work challenging the ambulance and fire department and challenging different types of people to come in. Now we have extremely high numbers and it's because of Sherry. Because she's diligent in getting a new customer base," said Schouten.

"This last blood drive, we had 43 appointments," Sidell said. "It was the best blood drive since 2014."

"We've got some good hands here. I think it's a wonderful thing for Lincoln, Montana to have these three gals," said Rich Paul, a long-time donor who has donated more than 25 gallons during his lifetime. Donors can donate up to six pints a year, and it takes eight donations to make up a gallon.

"You know, Rich has donated 211 times. It's crazy when you think of the years. To reach that number, boy, you're talking devotion," said Schouten. "They say that every time you donate, you can save up to three lives, so that would mean he has saved over 630 lives."

The first time Paul donated was in San Antonio, Texas during boot camp.

"I believe it was in April of '61. The drill instructor came by, and he says, 'We've got an emergency over at the hospital with a young lady that's got cancer, and they need blood donors. Anybody that would like to give blood, we would encourage it,'" said Paul.

"My mother had given for a number of years before that time, so I gave blood that day, and I've been giving blood ever since, you know, and it was because of my mom. Why she got started, I have no idea. But I know that she gave, and it was an influence on me. Whether that gal in the hospital there survived or not, I have no idea. At least I threw one in there to help, and that's just the way I feel about it. If it'll help, I'm gonna do it," said Paul.

"He's usually one of our first customers of the day, and we're all excited. And he comes in with his little dog, Whiskey. He sits right under the bed while Rich is donating," Schouten said.

Paul continues to donate at every blood drive in Lincoln. He said he had to take a break for a few years after he had a stent put in and his doctor worried he'd become anemic, but he picked right back up when he could.

"I was regimented in it. I just got used to it, and every couple of months, I'd give blood. Right now, I give every chance I can, because you never know. One of these days, Whiskey won't be able to drive me to the blood drive," Paul said, adding, "I'm thankful that I'm able to give and that I've been able to give for as long as I've been able to."

Another accomplished Lincoln donor is Pat Bickel, who has 101 pints to his credit. He reckons he's been donating since he moved to Lincoln in 1976, and said it's always a piece of cake.

Lincoln residents reap the benefits of having local volunteers who organize these events. Not only do local blood donors get a friendly reminder call from Schouten or Anderson, but Sidell actively works to solve problems donors bring to her.

Most recently, a donor pointed out that he's tired of getting robocalls from the Red Cross.

"There's other people in town that said the reason they won't donate is all the robocalls they got from the Red Cross," said Sidell.

Sidell contacted the Red Cross to find out how to cancel these calls and, recognizing that the current process would be somewhat difficult for many donors, devised her own.

"This next time, I'm going to do a paper for a do not call list," said Sidell, which she plans to give to the area manager for Lincoln's blood drives.

In addition to support with problems, Anderson, Schouten and Sidell help register donors for their next donations during the blood drive, ensuring the drives stay full and that donors can guarantee their preferred donation times.

"In fact, if we don't schedule people for the next one, they might not get in," said Anderson.

Sidell noted that she doesn't schedule herself for appointments during Lincoln's blood drives so that she can ensure anyone else in the community who is interested is able to donate. She added, though, that she does fill out her Rapid Pass in the mornings before heading in to the blood drive, so if someone cancels or can't donate, she can jump into the open slot and donate.

"Even on a full schedule, we don't want to turn away anybody," said Sidell.

Appointments have remained high in Lincoln, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"During this year of COVID, everything in Lincoln across the board got canceled. Blood bank was the only thing that was allowed to happen. Customers came in spite of the COVID. We worked in spite of this COVID," Schouten said.

The next blood drive in Lincoln will be held Tuesday, Apr. 27 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.