Friday, January 01, 2010

GoT BLooD? iT'S THaT TiMe aGaiN!!


Welcome to the New Year, New Decade and the Third Annual MaNiC MoMMy'S Virtual Blog for Blood Drive Challenge! I can't believe this is the third year of the blood drive and I wasn't sure if I was going to do it again, but something pulled at me and here I am! Thank YOU for taking the time to consider participating! I ended 2009 by donating my pint yesterday, and I've been bulking up on the iron and came in at 15.4 for my iron count! That's like a MAN's iron count! Been eating a ton of red meat lately now that I'm not eating SUGAR or Diet Coke any more!

If you're new to this, thanks for stopping by, and here's a quick explanation: In 2008, I had a carload of 6 kids and drove past a Heartland Blood Center and decided to stop in to see if I could donate on a whim. With SIX KIDS in the car. We all went in, I donated, and it was SO EASY! I blogged about it, then thought, if that was so easy, why isn't it this easy for everyone else to do it?

Then I thought to make it fun, I'd put some money into it, and give away prizes. Some other awesome bloggers came forward, donated their time and money toward prizes. The next year, a company donated a trip to Florida, and we had even more great people give up a pint of their blood for the cause.

ONE PINT OF YOUR BLOOD WILL SAVE THREE PEOPLE. Some of you have a blood type that can save up to FIVE BABIES. But my mom said it best. Your blood saves more than just three people or five babies. It saves their whole FAMILIES.

To participate in MaNiC MoMMy'S Virtual BLog for Blood Drive, all you have to do is head to your local blood bank and donate a pint of blood from now through February 28. (Make sure you've eaten enough iron-rich foods and have had breakfast and that you drink water before you go.) Have someone there take your photo WHILE YOU ARE DONATING BLOOD and email it to me, along with your name, email, and city and state. Tell me what motivated you to donate. Every Sunday I post the photos calling it SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY.

Email photos to: manicmommy@comcast.net.

At the end of the drive, we'll have great prizes to give away, some of them yet to be determined, but I am ponying up like every year, $3 per EVERY DONOR of my own cash toward prizes ($1 per every life saved - up to a total amount determined by me).

A grand prize will be a ROUNDTRIP SOUTHWEST AIRLINE TICKET for one random winner so if you're looking to head somewhere warm, and if you've got a pint of blood just flowing in your veins that YOU DON'T NEED that maybe someone else COULD USE TO LIVE, you might consider giving it away!

I'm trying, desperately, to entice Ellen Degeneres to give a pint to the cause on her show - wouldn't THAT be fabulous? Or maybe SHE would let a winner come visit HER in California? I've been emailing and tweeting her trying to get her to notice my blood drive efforts, but I know she gets thousands of requests every day, but just as she wanted to be on the cover of Oprah magazine, she didn't quit, so I'm not going to quit bugging her on my quest to get her to at least give me a pint of blood. In fact, wouldn't she look GREAT donating a pint of blood?


All you have to do is donate a pint of blood and have your photo taken. If the staff says you can't get your photo taken in the chair, that's NOT true. See all the people who have had their photos taken: Last Year's Donors! Don't they all look awesome--and they're ALL full of SMILES!

SHOW the staff the photos from the above link! If they still won't let you take a picture, give your pint, and take your picture outside the establishment and take a picture of your "Be nice to me, I donated" sticker, or a picture of your paperwork you fill out, or your bandaged arm. Photos will be considered at my discretion, and I do prefer the photo of you in the chair, but if they're being sticklers about it, do what you can!

Remember to EMAIL your name, email address so I can contact you, city, state, and what motivated you to donate to: manicmommy@comcast.net. Photos will be posted every Sunday!

If you would like to consider sponsoring part of the drive, or donating a prize, those opportunities are also available as well, just email me! Any gift at all is welcome and appreciated! But most of all, the gift of your pint of blood is what we want most!

Thank you very much and if you have any questions about anything I might not have covered here, please leave them in the comment section! Below is a photo of some of the awesome staff at Heartland Blood Center in Naperville, Illinois! Thanks Tammy & Chez! And we'll be seeing the other Tammy and Gloria soon when I bring Mr. Manic in for blood later this week!

How about it, Got a pint to spare? It's a great way to start off the New Year! Happy 2010!

33 comments:

Melisa Wells said...

Looking forward to donating for my third year in a row, and having lunch w/ you as well! I'll have my people call your people to set up a blood date for the last half of January. :)

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

YAY Melisa with one S! We will go together and get your peeps to come with and we'll bring our tiaras and I promise if it's snowing I will also remove snow from your car! Happy New Year!

Working Mommy said...

Good luck with your fabulous cause!!! I'm sure your efforts will be rewarded :)

~WM

Ginny Clark said...

I've linked you to my own blog, and my own facebook page....hopefully that will help get the word out.

http://wackyworldadventures.blogspot.com/2010/01/manic-mommy-got-blood-its-that-time.html

Mrs4444 said...

Great minds must think alike! I was just blogging on this topic today, and Melisa told me about your THIRD annual event! I'll be giving blood next week (I flunked my iron test last week), so I'll happily enter your contest :)

Tanya said...

I'm going to start taking iron now. I did it the first year, but last year when I tried I didn't have enough iron.

Thanks for encouraging everyone to give. You've saved a million lives already.
:)

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Thanks everyone for getting on board with this already! ANd if you have a facebook page, if you can link to my blog page, that'd be even more awesome! Just copy and paste below and that'll send everyone here! THANKS!

To all my Facebook friends: Consider sharing a pint for MaNiC MoMMy's Virtual Blood Drive: http://tinyurl.com/yzfvnu4

Feisty Irish Wench said...

When I donated last year, little did I know I was also FRESHLY planted with a new mini-human! Then there was a blood drive at the stadium Dec 8th, and I was worried you'd do this drive again and I'd miss the cutoff. Thankfully the deadline is a couple weeks after my next donation eligibility date ;) Feb 2nd. My donation center is good about letting me get my picture in the chair, just as long as I don't get anyone else in the picture.

Maybe those people who encountered problems before, could call ahead and tell the director what they're doing, and why. If they promise not to get anyone else in the pictures, they might not get the resistance.

Kirsten said...

LOVE the Ellen pic ~~~ She would crack up at that if only she would see it. Maybe . . . maybe. . . I'll keep my fingers crossed that she will. :-)

Michelle said...

Hey if you and Melisa are getting together near the end of Jan, I may be persuaded to join you down that way since the people at the Heartland by me REFUSE to have a camera in the place at all. I actually tried going last Tuesday and ummm I was at 11.2. Oops. Definitely donating one way or the other though :)

APColleen said...

I was supposed to have donated on the 29th of dec but i couldnt make it, then work and new years and alcohol got in the way but i plan on donating. Im manic depressive but not a mommy but at 29 years old im at 3 1/2 gallons!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Hey Feisty, was thinking about you and so sorry I haven't been by your blog and HEY, you've got a 3 month old little girl huh? I wanna see pics!!!!

Kirsten!! You can send Ellen the link of this to get the word out and then maybe they'll get inundated with manic mommy mail and take notice of this and she'll HAVE to pay attention ... hee hee. Funny tho, huh?

Michelle--Jan 22 -- join us at our Heartland -- They let us take pics, and just start eating some red meat. Also, I have started taking a women's daily vitamin. I think that totally helps. Usually my iron is really low too. Can you believe it was over 15!?!?

APCol--see, it was a TOTAL sign that you couldn't donate on the 29!!! You're SUPPOSED to be a part of the Manic Mommy blood drive!!! FATE! Also, my mom's name is Colleen! TOTAL FATE!

Thanks everyone for the enthusiasm!

Anonymous said...

I participated last year, but have to pass this year. I don't know when I can give blood again. I've had problems with anemia for three years now. Last year, I was just barely acceptable, so I gave blood. This summer, I was diagnosed more severely anemic than ever before. They traced it back to me possibly being a slow healer from having given blood that time last January. It took two seperate iron infusions and months of prescription iron pills to get me back to an acceptable level. I've been told to hold off on giving blood for a long time. It's such an easy thing to do and SO helpful to others; I wish I could. I even got a call this morning from our local blood bank asking for donations due to low supply. :(

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

DGmommie, that's such a bummer! I know how low iron can make you feel so tired too! Take care of yourself, and thanks for wanting to give blood at least! Take care!

naiadkitty said...

I wont be able to give blood this year because when I gave last year, I finally caught the attention of the platelets people, so I've been giving platelets every other week ever since!

But! I was having trouble with my iron count, even though I was eating Cream of Wheat and raisins every day. But my problem turned out to be poor circulation. At one attempt, they had me wiggle my fingers between tests, and I went from 11.2 to 13.5! I know it won't work for everyone, but it might help?

Good luck with your drive! I hope Ellen comes through for you!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Naiad--Platelets count! I will enter you for giving platelets!!! Send me a picture girlfriend!

LisaSam said...

Now, if only you were here to go with me.
Lisa

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

LisaSam, you can call me on your cell and I would talk you through it. I promise you I would! xo

Anonymous said...

Well, I said that I was told not to give blood again anytime soon due to anemia issues. Got blood test results back today... anemic again. Two iron infusions this summer pushed me way past anemia, but I took months of a prescription iron to maintain it. I only stopped the iron a couple months ago at most. Now I'm anemic again. This is ridiculous!

Emily, Pretty and Poor said...

This is a FABULOUS idea! I am so excited and will definitely jump on the bandwagon to do go, get myself out and donate blood soon! I might even take some of my fellow fashionistas with me! Thanks for the inspiration-- look for my pictures :)

Aunt Cindy said...

What a great idea! I'll see what I can do. I have 2 little ones & no local blood center, but I may take some friends with me to bleed! We can take turns watching kiddos. :)

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Emily! Go! Take your fashionistas with! That would be awesome! and Aunt Cindy (who's not MY aunt but probably a terrific auntie!) take your pals and trade off watching kids! The blood centers are usually great with kids and will hopefully share the snacks--they plied my kids with a ton of brownies and drinks when I was donating blood! Also, if you guys comment here, can you tell me how you found out about the blood drive? Thanks!

Casey said...

That's a great idea! I love donating blood. I think it is so important and really so easy. I hope you have a lot of success with your blood drive.

Aunt Cindy said...

I follow you on twitter (makes me feel like a stalker just a little) & saw your tweets about the blood drive! Even though I'm not your aunt, I'd still pinch your cheeks and tell you how big you've gotten (yet managed to maintain a tiny butt - I'm supportive that way). My 15 year old 6+ ft. nephew LOVES when I do that to him (NOT!)

Bloggin' Mama said...

I donated in December so I'll have to check my eligibility to see when I can donate again and I definitely will!

But, speaking first hand, knowing what it's like to NEED blood (and fortunately be O+) - THANK YOU to all who donate. In September, 2008, I hemorrhaged after the birth of my 3rd child and needed two units of blood. After that I counted the days until my one year had passed to be eligible to donate again and then had to wait extra due to a medication I was taking. I have to say it felt so good to finally be sitting in that chair because it meant I was helping someone, just like someone (or two someones) had helped me!

Suz said...

I gave on the 2nd (platelets), but I have an appointment to donate again tomorrow. So glad I have the potential to help others -- and all I have to spend is time :)

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Bloggin Mama-- I left a comment on your blog--Thank God you are OK! And that you continue to be well and can now donate! Take a pic and send it in next time you donate! And SUZ, take a pic of platelet donating--that counts in my book too! xo

Suz said...

Well, looky/linky here!

http://bit.ly/6bN9Is

Jenn said...

I wish I would have seen this before I went to donate this afternoon. Oh well, maybe next time...my next donation won't happen until March 11. :)

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Crap! Jennifer, I HATE when this happens! Do you have your sticker and possibly your bandaged arm still? Take a pic and email it to me and I'll see what I can do! (that is if you read this comment in time? I tried to see your profile, but there's no info on who you are!) DRAT DRAT DRAT!!

Rachel said...

I can't donate because I'm recovering from surgery and am anemic, but I spread the word through my blog and am constantly retweeting about it :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this. When my daughter was born, it took 9 units of blood to save my life.

I can't donate as a result, but I will promote the hell out of this.

Lyzzydee said...

I started to onate blood when I was 18 and donated 3 times a year apart from the years I was pregnant , Sadly I can no longer donate as I have had cancer,(on the plus side I am still here to tell the tale, so its not all bad!!!)I feel sad that I can no longer do it, but I have given 40 pints, I have done my bit!!!
Good luck with you blood drive