Rockmart’s Dora Dryden keeps blood drive going
Every other month, the community center at Rockmart’s First Baptist Church is turned into a blood donor center. And Dora Dryden has been a key part of keeping that happening.
The retired high school science teacher has been the lead American Red Cross blood program leader for Rockmart the last two years, and during that time has seen the need for blood become more and more critical.
The November drive happened Thursday, Nov. 18, and Dryden was there helping check people in and making sure they got all the snacks and food they wanted after donating.
“We’ve had a pretty good turnout I would say for the times,” Dryden said. “We’re getting around 40 donations, total and our goal today is 35. It’s been lower recently because of various things.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, blood supplies began running low because of a lack of donations as people stayed home and stopped traveling to public places.
Angela Truelove, account manager for the Red Cross Georgia Blood Services Northwest Georgia Region, asked Dryden to start holding two blood drives every two months. That continued until this month when it returned to a single drive every other month.
In August, Dryden was honored by the Red Cross as the Blood Drive Coordinator of The Year for Northwest Georgia. The award was presented to volunteers who foster innovative relationships between their organization and the Red Cross and contribute to priorities around safe blood products and a strengthened blood program.
“I’ve been working with the Red Cross volunteering in various ways for several years but only as the program leader for the last (two),” Dryden said. “I started when
Martha McDurmon passed away. I’ve been donating blood since I was 17. So I’ve been with them a long time.”
McDurmon passed away in December, 2019 and worked with the Red Cross for over 10 years coordinating the blood drives in Rockmart.
After a period of holding the drives at the Nathan Dean Community Center, the drive returned to First Baptist Church and has been a fixture for the church and the community. Members of the Rockmart Masonic Lodge No. 97 prepare barbecue sandwiches for the donors, and Dryden makes sure to prepare a cake or dessert for them as well.
“It’s something that I felt strongly about since I started donating at 17, and it’s just such a worthwhile thing. I’m just happy to help. We have a lot of good helpers,” Dryden said.
The American Red Cross continues to address an ongoing emergency blood shortage, and donors are urged to give now to combat the lowest blood supply levels at this time of year in more than a decade.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu cases reached an all-time low last year due to masking, physical distancing and shutdowns across the country, and many Americans may have reduced immunity.
When seasonal illness increases, the number of healthy blood donors tends to decrease. Paired with winter weather, busy holiday schedules and ongoing COVID-19 concerns, the already-struggling blood supply could be further impacted throughout winter.
There is no blood donation waiting period for those who have received a flu shot or a Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine or booster, so long as they are symptom-free.
Donors are urged to schedule an appointment now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood. org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).