First United Bank Childress challenges businesses to donate blood
CHILDRESS – If saving a life isn’t enough reason to donate blood, First United Bank Childress President Larry Johnson has another one.
“First United Bank Childress challenges all businesses to give blood,” said Johnson, who donated blood with his team at the blood drive on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the auditorium at Fair Park. “We donated 10 units.”
Johnson said he, Turk Nelson, Alabama Bohannon, Stephanie Castor and Hannah Foster decided to donate after reading a brochure that was on the table at the bank. Bohannon’s wife also donated blood.
“Turk gives every time the door is open,” Johnson said. Nelson has been donating blood for 30 years. This was his 72nd time to give, he said.
“I’d like to think maybe somewhere in the last 30 years it’s had a small part of helping extend someone’s life,” Nelson said.
In addition to Johnson and Nelson donating a double unit of blood, Bohannon and his wife did too, Johnson explained. “Stephanie and Hannah were first time donors,” he added.
Childress Community Blood Drive Co-Director Debbie Favor hopes this will have a domino effect on future drives and inspire other businesses to donate. “This will hopefully get everybody to get all of their employees to come,” she said.
Favor said they had a lot of people show up who weren’t even registered to donate.
“We love that,” Favor said. “It’s been awesome. Any time anybody wants to come and give, that’s great. You never know when your donation could save someone’s life.”
In fact, she just heard a story about a Childress donor, who received a call from a girl who received her donated blood.
“It was a recorded call, but it was a call from a little girl, and she thanked her for saving her life by the donation she gave at our blood drive,” Favor said. “We’ve had several people in Childress that have gotten lifesaving blood. If people don’t donate, then we don’t have blood to put back on the shelves.”
