BryanFL

Good Morning fellow Vampires! Has anyone ever done a pamper yourself promotion where blood donors who wanted it, received a manicure and/or pedicure after donating? If so, how was is received, what obstacles did you overcome and any ideas on handling the logistics? I want to do something like this for Mother's Day and need some background information. I do not want to recreate the wheel. Thanks! Bryan

JWeston, Check out the American Association of Blood Banks at www.aabb.org and the Donor Recruitment Professionals website at www.adrp.org. They have some good resources you maybe able to access. Just FYI, I am the recruiter for a blood bank in Panama City, FL and the average age of our donors is 39. Good Luck! Bryan

My donor center had their first gallon donor last week and are on schedule to have 11 more in the next four months. Any ideas on a gift? My thoughts are for a keychain, coffee mug, clock, etc. Also, does anyone know of a vendor that can give me a good deal on a low quantity (under 100)?

Thanks Cliff for the information. That makes sense to me.

Has anyone heard if giving blood lowers the donor's cholesterol levels? I was asked this question and did not have a definitive answer. Any ideas or anyone know where there is documentation to prove this? Thanks!

Thanks Cliff. I plan to give away t-shirts and have a t-shirt day at the end of the month for all blood donors with shirts can wear at work. I plan to have it coincide with our monthly "Blue Jean Day" for people who've given to the American Heart Association. What type of events are you doing? Do you know on any national plans (i.e. with AABB or ABC)?

Who is doing something special for this, i.e. t-shirts, special drawings, etc?

Thanks Lynn. Where are the gift cards for?

I just checked the link and it didn't work. I apologize. If interested, visit www.webmd.com and search for "Giving blood." It is number 8 on the list. Again I apologize and thank you!

Has anyone else heard this? I saw on WebMD an article about a study in 2000 about a Flordia physician and researcher that found a correlation between giving blood and reducing the risks of heart disease, especially in men. The main focus is that high iron levels can increase the risk of heart disease by speeding the oxidation of cholesterol. For a better explanation, please visit http://my.webmd.com/content/article/12/1685_50247.htm I just found this very interesting and wasn't sure if anyone else had heard of this. Thanks! Bryan

Thanks for the information. I'll check out the ADRP website and see what I can find.

Does anyone have ideas on recruiting during the week of September 11th? I have mixed emotions about doing this and I'm sure others do as well. If I do a specific promotion, I want to do something classy. Does anyone have ideas that have worked in the past? ANything that hasn't worked or generated bad letters to the editor? Thanks! Bryan

How much on average do most blood banks spend per donor? I'm working on next year's budget and would like to know a good figure to shoot for. I will appreciate any input. Thanks!

That's good. Thanks for the info! I have gotten a good response from some donors about giving platelets. The only negative reactions I get is the two hours for the procedure. I emphasize the positives from the beginning and hope they really don't pay attention to the 'two hour' portion.

I donated platelets yesterday for the first time and everything went fine. Thanks for your advise on recruiting donors. I plan on mailing a postcard to all my A and AB donors on the benefits of giving platelets and see what happens. Did you purchase your movie passes or were they donated? Just curious. Thanks!