Kreutziger, Bryant organize local blood drives
By ROWENA PLETT
Reporter / photographer
For at least 12 years, Donna Kreutziger and Janet Bryant have been coordinating Red Cross blood drives at Eastmoor United Methodist Church in Marion.
The two have been working together for so long, it's difficult for them to imagine it any different.
The drives are held twice a year, each time with a different theme. The women work at making the event a fun time. Sometimes Bryant wears a costume to match the theme.
Sharon Gould, a Red Cross nurse from Wichita, said Bryant was "the first turkey I ever drew blood from." The drive was shortly before Thanksgiving about three years ago.
Other themes have centered around the old-fashioned soda fountain, Christmas, and summer at the beach. Sometimes, food items are named to reflect the theme. At Monday's blood drive, the theme was "The Power of One," so the kitchen staff served "power-burgers." Backdrop music provides a relaxing atmosphere.
Bryant helps with scheduling and publicity, and Kreutziger does the nuts-and-bolts work involved in the actual event.
A week or two before, she chooses food items, which include sandwiches or hot burgers and fresh fruit and vegetables. She also contacts other churches about providing cookies and cakes.
On the day of the blood drive, she finds volunteers to unload equipment from the Red Cross truck and reload it afterward. She said members of Kiwanis, FFA, Boy Scouts, and others have been helpful.
She prepares drinks and sets up the canteen provided for donors. She also provides table decorations to follow the theme of the event.
The canteen is popular with volunteers, donors, and Red Cross workers alike. Bev Kerbs, donor recruitment representative for this area, said the canteen provided at Eastmoor blood drives is one of the best.
She said volunteers and the same Red Cross crews return again and again because of the outstanding food.
When parents come with young children, Kreutziger sees that they are taken to the nursery and supervised. Children aren't allowed near donation stations.
"I don't want anybody to have an excuse for not donating blood," she said.
Finally, Kreutziger supervises cleanup and sees that everything is put away.
The blood drive Monday was her last time as kitchen supervisor. She has decided to step down.
"It was a rewarding experience and I feel sad to give it up," she said.
She explained that she needs more time for her own business, so she had to cut back on some of her activities.
Kerbs said the Red Cross is looking for someone to take her place. Bryant is hoping that someone else from Eastmoor will step forward so the church can continue to host the drives.
"It is a way besides donating blood to contribute to a good cause," Kreutziger noted.
