[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 28, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH HONORS FLORIDA BLOOD SERVICES VOLUNTEERS AND 
                                 STAFF

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. C. W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 28, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, The foundation of our nation is 
built upon one person helping another in their time of greatest need. 
This month we honor those volunteers who ``Give the Gift of Life'' 
during National Blood Donor Month.
  Florida Blood Services, which I have the privilege to represent in 
St. Petersburg, Florida, provides life-saving blood products for the 14 
counties of the Tampa Bay, Northwest Florida and Southern Alabama 
areas, supplying 61 hospitals and ambulatory care centers. This fine 
organization also tests and screens blood for 30 East Coast blood 
centers and medical facilities from Maine to the north all the way to 
Puerto Rico to the south.
  The heart of Florida Blood Service's operations is its volunteers. 
Last year, 100,000 blood and platelet donors rolled up their sleeves to 
donate one pint at a time to save the life of complete strangers near 
and far away. This includes some remarkable individuals who have made 
blood donation their passion. Frank Knight, III has donated 96 gallons 
of blood, Bobbie Bernstein 86 gallons, and my former District Director 
and now the Vice Mayor of Clearwater, George Cretekos, has donated 36 
gallons of blood.
  Florida Blood Services has an outstanding staff and Board of 
Directors that manages donor recruitment, collection, distribution and 
quality control programs. Don Doddridge is the Chief Executive Officer 
and this year also serves as President of America's Blood Centers. He 
has devoted his entire working career to promoting the need for blood 
donation and to ensure the safety of the procedure and the quality of 
the products. It has been a pleasure to work with Don and his staff 
over the years on a number of federal issues related to blood 
collection. This includes Don's work to focus national attention on 
ensuring that blood collection is a key part of our nation's disaster 
contingency planning and that plans are in place to be able to 
distribute blood products to areas in crisis. He has also seen that 
Florida Blood Services and other national blood banks are available to 
provide critical blood products to those serving in uniform here and 
abroad.
  Finally, Madam Speaker, I want to commend Florida Blood Services for 
instilling in our nation's youth the need to serve others, in this case 
as blood donors. Through its unique high school leadership program, 
Florida Blood Services recruits high school students to organize and 
sponsor blood drives in high schools throughout the four-county Tampa 
Bay area. It was a real honor for me last April to be asked to speak to 
its High School Leadership Conference where they brought together more 
than 400 students who had led efforts in their schools. Together, 
students at these school-based drives donated 27,000 units of blood.
  Madam Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute 
to Florida Blood services and their volunteer donors of all ages. Like 
blood donors all across America, they ``Give the Gift of Life'' every 
day to complete strangers out of a sense of service and compassion. We 
honor all these heroes during this National Blood Donor Month.

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