Tuesday, 17Aug10, Pensacola, FL, NWFBS
Blood fact: “Much of today’s medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.”
Today I spent the day in Pensacola, FL, at the NW Florida Blood Services, it was a Grand Opening of their new donor center … a beautiful building!
There were lots of dignitaries … Mayor of the city,Pensacola, Sheriff of Escambia County, David Morgan, several of the Board of Directors, Ann Pierce Terumo Medical Corp, and many incredible donors and lots of Blood Center staff.
A special thank you to Bette, Don, Jeanne, Daniel, Roger, and many others who played a critical part in making the Grand Opening such a great success! You are awesome!
Thank you to Bette and Stephanie for dinner last night … and … for lunch today.
I had the extra honor of meeting up with my cousin, Len Crawford, who is a local resident of Pensacola … and … grateful that he helped me find my brother, Eugene’s, gravesite at the National Cemetary. (Thanks Len … it was great to visit with you again!)
Don’t forget to check out the amazing pix of donors and staff on Facebook … as usual, FBS did an exceptional job of organizing the Grand Opening. I also had the opportunity to meet several donors (husband and wife teams), even families came to donate together, and Bette gave me the opportunity to visit with the “lab employees” in all of their various areas.
Once again, it was an honor and a privilege for me to meet and thank the donors who were in Pensacola at the grand opening … and … it was a lot of fun to meet the Pensacola NW FL Blood Services staff. (I am in awe each time I meet with them … they are truly amazing!)
It is so nice when everyone welcomes you and lets you know how much they appreciate a “blood recipient” coming back to say “thank you” to each of them. (It helps remind them of the reason they are doing what they do … day in and day out!)
After a 60 mile drive, I’m now in Mobile, Alabama … and have made contact with Angela Williams, letting her know that I am in town and we will meet tomorrow morning.
Talk to you later …
FYI, after tomorrow’s LifeSouth Mobile visit, I start working my way through Mississippi … UBS Hattiesburg, Meridian, Tupelo, (then up to Memphis, Tenn), and back down to Jackson and Alexandria, Miss., then on over to Waco and Dallas, TX … then up to Oklahoma City.
It’s going to be a very busy week … yet … I’m looking forward to it very much!