"Celebrate the Gift of Life" - 2009 NECN & American Red Cross Blood Drive

As I shared on my Facebook page:  I have to say that at one point, I looked around and suddenly was overwhelmed by that warm and wonderful feeling at the end of Bruce Almighty (anyone remember that? When he's standing there with a crutch and a bandage?). It's why I do what I do. Nice to have such days as a clear reminder of why I'm in the TV biz, and the deep and wonderfully positive impact media can still have on society, when put to the right uses. Thanks to all who support me, thereby allowing me to continue to work at bringing more positive stories to the forefront.

Thursday, January 29, 2009, brought the fifth annual "Celebrate the Gift of Life" Blood Drive - a joint effort between NECN, the American Red Cross, and YOU!  The day-long, New England-wide blood drive featured 35 locations across all six states in an effort to raise no less than 2009 units of blood for patients in need.  This page serves as a chronological collection of interviews and videos from the 2009 Blood Drive - I was on-site greeting and thanking donors from 4:30 AM to 9:00 PM, and on-air during that time from 5 AM to 6 PM.  First, a few sobering statistics:

• There is a 97% chance that someone you know will need a blood transfusion at some point in their life.
• One out of every ten people admitted to a hospital needs blood.
• Approximately, 60%of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood – only 5% do in a given year, supporting the other 95%.

At 6 AM:  The Blood Drive kicked off outside the American Red Cross donor center in Dedham, MA, and live updates would continue from there throughout the day. Just a few minutes after the ribbon-cutting, I spoke with Paul D'Arcangelo, from Comcast:

6:28 AM: Guanah Davis, CEO of the Massachusetts American Red Cross, speaks about the essence of team, and the need for blood.

7:08 AM: Red Cross Spokesperson Donna Morrissey steps through the process of blood donation, especially geared toward first-time donors:

7:38 AM: I found a donor I thought I'd like to interview - as it turns out, Paul Feeley is also a Red Cross employee - not only known throughout the organization for his dance moves at the recent Christmas party and dressed for "Super Bowl Day" in the Control Lab, but also great educator of what happens to blood behind-the-scenes:

8:08 AM: The Blood Drive became a family affair for me when my Dad, Charlie Noyes, showed up to donate blood to honor the memory of State Police Captain Richard Cashin, who tragically died in the line of duty the day prior in a car accident. My father was on the State Police for 35 years before retiring two years ago, and Captain Cashin was both his colleague and friend. I knew Captain Cashin through my father as a friendly, warm, kind and welcoming man with a wonderful smile and a deep sincerity. Meanwhile, John Cassidy was busy working behind-the-scenes at the Red Cross location in Dedham, as a Customer Service Representative, and was willing to talk about donating blood. You may talk to John the next time you call 800-GIVE-LIFE!

8:38 AM: Christie Coombs is a member of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross Blood Services whose husband, Jeffrey, perished on-board American Airlines Flight 11 when it crashed into the World Trade Center Twin Towers. Christie brought a very personal connection to the Blood Drive, and has been willing to share with others her commitment to honoring the memory of those who've been lost.

9:08 AM: Give a pint, get a pound...of coffee! Thanks to Dunkin' Donuts, there's a special treat for all who donate a unit of blood. Frank Basler explains.

9:41 AM: Caroline Ogonowski is a senior at Boston College, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Red Cross Blood Services. Caroline's dad, John, was piloting American Airlines Flight 11 when it was hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Towers, and Caroline's involvement with the Red Cross has blossomed since then. We also had a chance to catch up on Caroline's college life, and her upcoming graduation! Also, Sean Fitzpatrick represented the New England Organ Bank, and explained how easy it is to become an organ donor now that the process is entirely online. And, yes, he successfully recruited me as an organ donor (I wasn't a hard sell).

Noon: Just 45 minutes after I gave blood (see 12:30 PM for video), it was time for another live shot - no problem! Meanwhile, the blood drive was becoming an event for family and friends - both literal family (after my Dad gave blood, my Uncle Bert Noyes showed up, as well, as did my photographer's wife, who also happens to work at the Red Cross) and our figurative NECN and American Red Cross Families. The enthusiasm was contagious, including for NECN's President, Charlie Kravetz, who's given year-after-year and took a moment to reflect on the collective effort for the day, and the gift that doesn't cost a penny.

12:30 PM: I shared some video of me, my father, Charlie Noyes, and NECN President Charlie Kravetz, all giving blood during the late morning. Also, Dedham Fire Department Chief James Driscoll donates blood regularly. He's seen too many tragic stories to neglect such an easy community service to perform, and shares some of that motivation - and some of his memories of when he first gave as an 18 year old - with the rest of us.

12:55 PM: Did you know that pets need blood donations, too? The trick is, only other pets can donate for them! NECN's "The Secret Life of Animals" host Vicki Croke, and Brian Adams from MSPCA/Angell Hospital for Animals explain.

3:10 PM: NECN reporter Latoyia Edwards joins me for more live coverage, and together we interview Donna Morrissey, who returns to recap how things are going in the drive with an afternoon update.

3:25 PM: Bruce Moberg was a thrill for me, and a great example of the many folks I met at the Dedham Donor Center who said it was seeing our coverage on TV, and my appeal to come out and donate, that inspired him to make the trip to give blood. Bruce ended up being the 100th donor of the day for this particular donor center.

5:40 PM: Letting loose! You can count on a few laughs when you take NECN TV Diner's host and KISS 108 FM's DJ Billy Costa, TV Diner Producer Jenny Johnson, Reporter Latoyia Edwards and me, and stick us all together for a chat about how things are going.

9:00 PM: WE MADE IT! Sailing pass our goal of 2009 units of blood to reach 2167 units, and there actually may be more once all units are tallied in the days to follow. Thank you to all who gave blood, volunteered, or gave support to those who were considering donating! We couldn't have done it without you. Plan on next January, and please remember the need is always present, and you can give every 56 days.

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