Community service is one of the four areas of service that Rotary members undertake. Kingston Rotary Club fulfills this goal by scheduling regular blood drives that enable others to give the gift of life.

Shortly after the Kingston Rotary Club began meeting in 2003, Greg Supancheck of the Puget Sound Blood Bank attended a Rotary meeting to make a presentation on the work of the blood bank. At the end of the presentation, Supancheck asked if Rotary would find a location and staff a blood drive on regularly scheduled dates.

Debbie Anderson and Brad Brown stepped up to the plate and offered to spearhead this effort. Blood drives then began to take place in the Kingston Community Center back in 2004. The community center was thought to be ideal, since the blood drive signs were visible to exiting ferry traffic.

Deborah Estridge was the next Rotarian who took over the leadership of the blood drive; Deborah passed this role on to Jon Sole when he joined Rotary in 2006. Jon has been the driving force in growing the Kingston Blood Drive, and now typically 40 to 50 donors attend each drive. Jon was instrumental in securing the new signs which are posted around the area, prior to each blood drive. The signs were funded by a grant from the Port Gamble S’Kallam Community Awards Program.

The blood drives in Kingston have moved to a new location and are scheduled every eight weeks. Scott Pennington, pastor of the Kingston Christian Church on Highway 104, graciously offered the church’s facilities. The blood drives always run from noon to 6 p.m. with a staff lunch break from 2-2:45 p.m.

If you have never been to a blood drive, the process is easy. Drink plenty of fluids before you donate and wear something comfortable with sleeves that can be rolled up above the elbow. You’ll need to set aside about one hour of your time to be at the blood drive facilities. Bring along identification, which you will need when checking in with the registrar. You will also need a list of the medications you are taking. You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire, followed by a confidential consultation with blood drive personnel. A person is eligible to give blood every 56 days, hence the scheduling of the blood drives every eight weeks.

Four or five technicians from Puget Sound Blood Bank perform the actual blood work, which takes about 8-10 minutes. An informative post on the entire process can be found at www.givelife.org.

Rotary’s primary function in these drives is publicizing the date and place of the Blood Drive, computer check-in of donors, and operation of the refreshment canteen to serve donors after their blood draw. The canteen is more than a snack stop for blood donors; it is an essential part of the donation process. It is necessary for donors to rehydrate themselves with fluids after giving blood, and to give their blood sugar a little boost with a small snack. Rotarians who staff the canteen are also watching for signs of any adverse reactions, such as light-headedness or fainting.

The Puget Sound Blood Bank recognized Jon Sole and the Kingston Rotary Club for their continuous and faithful sponsorship over the years. To learn more about the Puget Sound Blood Bank, visit www.pugetsoundbloodbank.org.  To learn more about providing community service as a Rotarian, attend a meeting on Wednesday at noon. We meet at the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue Paul T. Nichol Headquarters on Miller Bay Road in Kingston.