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Give Blood Saturday with the Shorewood Men's Club

The Shorewood Men's Club will hold their 18th semiannual blood drive this Saturday at the Village Center.

is looking for volunteers to give blood this Saturday morning from 8 to noon, at their semi-annual blood drive with the Blood Center of Wisconsin, held at the .

The drive generally draws about 30 people, and about 27 had signed up Thursday night, according to Men’s Club President Jeff Hanewall, who coordinated the event.

Hanewall said he hopes more people will sign up, or just stop by the lower level of the Shorewood Library, 3920 N. Murray Ave., on Saturday.

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“If you think about it, the blood center is supplying blood 24 hours a day, every day to hospitals throughout the state, but they’re not collecting blood all the time so we have to really make those hours count,” Hanewall said. “We’ll have the staff there, so let’s keep them as busy as we can.”

Blood donated to the Blood Center of Wisconsin undergoes 14 tests for various illnesses and then travels to over 50 different Wisconsin hospitals for which the center is the sole supplier of blood. When in-state hospitals have enough, blood is sent to hospitals across the country in need.

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The idea for the Shorewood Men’s Club blood drive goes back to September 11, 2001.

“We were talking about what the club could do to help folks, so I contacted the blood center,” Hanewall said. “They said everybody and their uncle’s got the same idea, but that’s it’s more of a fad and it will die off, and people will still need blood.”

In 2003, donations had declined and the Men’s Club started doing drives twice a year, making this their 18th drive. So far, Hanewall said they have donated over 500 units of blood.

If you participate in the drive, you can expect to show ID, answer questions about your medical history, and see a doctor for a short physical before you give blood. Read more about the process on the blood center’s website.

Hanewall has donated blood himself many times and encouraged people not to be afraid.

“They’re putting a needle through your skin so there’s some pain, but it really isn’t much more than a mosquito bite. It’s like you feel it and you slap it and it’s gone,” he said.

In addition to accepting standard “whole blood” donations, the center will have equipment on hand for donating red cells, plasma and platelets. In these “apheresis donations,” a machine spins your blood, removing just the essential components, and returns the blood to your body.

Donors must be at least 17 years old (or 16 with parental consent), at least 110 pounds, and without risk factors associated with HIV/AIDS. Find the full list of requirements, including a list of unacceptable medications, on the blood center’s website.

Each donation takes about 20-30 minutes and refreshments will be provided. Hanewall encourages, but does not require participants to make an appointment by calling him at 414-964-9719.

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