Blood bank officials are taking a refreshing approach to end a critical summer shortages. Free pints of Haagen-Dazs ice cream will go to each donor through next Friday, August 12.

The creative collaboration with five local Albertsons and Dreyer’s-—the parent company of the gourmet creamy treat-comes at a time when the Tri-Counties Blood Bank is averaging only 115 units of blood per day. It needs 150 to meet the potential demands of its primary service area from Santa Barbara and Goleta, to King City and the Salinas Valley.

Mary Ann Bittle, who’s been at the blood bank headquarters on Laguna Street for a decade, says everyone is concerned about the shortage.

“The need won’t go away,” said the administrative representative. “This summer has been absolutely difficult. It’s a struggle. I don’t remember a summer so slow.”

Bittle acknowledged the hot, sunny season was typically a difficult time at four Central Coast collection centers including the one downtown. People’s routines are upended seemingly from the time public schools let out.

Graduation and Father’s Day are quickly followed by the Fourth of July long weekends. Around these parts, many locals also head for greener pastures when Old Spanish Days kicks up its noisy heels. One of the biggest equestrian parades in the country takes place today in fact.

“People are traveling and many of our regular donors are on vacation,” said Bittle, who admitted to not knowing all the factors contributing to the all-volunteer donor shortage. “Everyone just seems to be busy.”
In the middle of another raucous, boot-stomping Fiesta that is clearly the case. But come Monday and the remainder of the work week, both Goletans and Santa Barbarans will have several chances to atone for five days of practically nonstop eating, drinking and attempting the Flamenco.

The blood bank pint for a pint drive continues at the Ashton Center at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital from 2:30 to 5:30 this Monday afternoon. Another big push will take place at the downtown Cottage hospital from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday Aug. 11.

On the final day to take advantage of a certificate worth a free pint of Strawberry, Coffee or Dulce De Leche, the blood bank staff and mobile van will be at Cottage Health administrative offices on 50 Castillan Drive.

The traveling trailer has already been out and about locally. The store director of Albertsons supermarket in the Calle Real Center gave a happy okay for the van to park in the lot out front a few days ago.

“I’ve always wanted to donate and felt it was a civic duty and a community service,” said Frances Vargas. “Several of my employees joined me. And the Haagen-Dazs certificates keep coming in all the time.”
Vargas and other local store managers and employees at the five South Coast Albertsons all deserve special community kudos. They’ve collected donations for the Food Bank, helped muster funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and were a big part of the grassroots campaign to bring about the land swap at Ellwood Mesa through selling $2.00 paper butterflies.

Now the two Albertsons in Goleta, the two in Santa Barbara and the one in Carp are all sites where blood donors can redeem their certificates for a free pint of gourmet ice cream.

“This is a great thing Albertsons is doing at this very difficult time of year for us,” Bittle said.

And just how difficult is the situation? The blood bank uses similar classifications to hospitals to characterize the state of a patient. Down on Laguna Street, everyone is closely monitoring the blood bank’s prognosis.

“There’s a critical shortage of ‘O positive’ and ‘O negative, and we’re ‘serious’ for ‘A positive,’” Bittle said.
But Bittle also noted the response has been “good” in Goleta and hopes it will continue with the final week coming up in the promotion. To make the donations a smoother experience, the administrative representative also offered some tried and true tips. A photo identification is a must.

“Donors need to be well hydrated and make sure they’ve eaten a healthy meal before they come,” Bittle said. “We want them to have had plenty of water-as if they were exercising. It’s very important. The veins are plumper and it makes the donating experience more pleasant.”

A screening process also takes place before giving blood. People need to be well and healthy and not on antibiotics for any type of ailment. They cannot have traveled in a high-risk malaria area for at least one year.

“And they can’t have had a tattoo in the last year either,” Bittle added. If potential donors have any questions, they’re urged to call the blood bank at 965-7037. If you can’t make it to one of next week’s locations, the staff is at the ready to take your blood on Laguna Street Monday through Friday.

In the meantime, Frances Vargas has promised to keep many of those other types of pints in cold storage at Albertsons.

Photo by Jeff Jones