Blood drives and homemade cookies save lives

The Blood Center depends on the passion of thousands of organizations across the Gulf Coast region to help us save lives. We need 800–1,000 donations a day to serve all of the patients in our community, and we couldn’t do it without businesses, high schools, colleges, churches, and a slew of other organizations that work with us.

Like clockwork, the third Tuesday of the month, you'll find the Auxiliary of Angleton Danbury at UTMB ADC hosting their blood drive. They held their first blood drive in 1973 at the request of what was then Angleton-Danbury General Hospital. During just one week in September 1972, the hospital had to cancel 24 surgeries because of a lack of blood.

Nearly 50 years later, it’s estimated that they’ve helped save about 134,000 lives.

You’re in good hands from the moment you enter. Armed with a box full of index cards, one for each donor over the years, and a table covered with homemade baked goods, these volunteers mean business.

And business was good last month as they celebrated their 500th blood drive.

December's blood drive was doubly special because it also honored Weston Timaeus, a recipient in the area. Weston, 6, was diagnosed with leukemia over the summer and has received multiple blood transfusions at Texas Children's Hospital.

Weston's grandfather, Larry Timaeus, is a member of the auxiliary and has been a blood donor for nearly 20 years. In that time, he's donated 10 gallons of blood.

"It just hits home a little more when you actually know somebody or have a family member that their life needs blood," Timaeus said.

Donors have become their own community at the monthly event, which is known for the homemade cookies available after donations. In fact, auxiliary member Bobbye Peltier is known as the "cookie lady," and she said she's honored to hand out cookies to the men and women who are saving lives by donating blood. Peltier has volunteered for the organization 50 years and has given 316 units of blood—that's nearly 40 gallons.

Peggy Morehan has served as chairperson of the drive since 2011. Their cause is especially important to her as she remembers donating blood on a Monday, and then her husband needing a transfusion the following Tuesday.

"I give for everybody," she said. "Everybody has to have blood. It can't be manufactured."

Learn more about setting up a blood drive at your company or organization.