UCLA Blood & Platelet Center partnered with the Lakers for a week of blood drives at several games during the month of November. The UCLA Blood & Platelet Mobile Unit took donations 2 hours prior to games at STAPLES Center and the UCLA Health Training Center: Home of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Congratulations Allynne Valerio!
Allynne was one of two winners who received a $50 Best Buy/Visa gift card by entering our Instagram Photo Contest promotion. Allyne works at UCLA and has donated several times at our Westwood Village location. She first learned about donating blood for the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center through a coworker. She tells the story of her sister receiving a kidney transplant at UCLA over a year ago. She said, "I donate blood whenever I can to help the community and as a health care provider, I believe it is our duty and responsibility to help other families that need it, as I have in the past." Congratulations Allynne and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Visit our Instagram pages for the Ackerman Student Union and Westwood Village Donor Centers.
Brian has been donating for the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center since 2015. He started as a donor in San Diego where he lived before he moved to Los Angeles. After learning that cancer patients need platelets, he made the commitment to start donating platelets. He was inspired by his mother who is a cancer survivor and by the idea to help people in need. Brian has made over 30 platelet donations for UCLA, which have helped save many patients. In the month of October, Brian donated two times and received two entry tickets for our Halloween time drawing. One of his entry tickets was randomly selected to win a pair of tickets to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.
Another interesting fact about Brian is that, according to him, he is "ridiculously good at Magic Eye." Congratulations Brian and thank you for your enormous support!
Scott is a graduate student in his 6th year in the Department of Anthropology. His research focuses on understanding how human societies change over time in response to a variety of pressures. Currently, he is a teaching assistant for incoming freshman enrolled in a program entitled The Evolution of the Cosmos and Life. Oftentimes, Scott will read a book or prepare for his class sections while donating platelets. Last year, Scott signed up as a whole blood donor at the Ackerman Student Union. After his first donation, he learned that his blood type is in high demand for platelet/plasma donations. Scott now donates platelets and comes in to donate as often as once every three weeks. Scott recently shared the deeply personal inspiration behind his altruism with us. "My mother died of leukemia when I was 6, and her treatment required significant amounts of both platelets and plasma. Every time I come in to donate I feel like I have a chance to honor her memory and to pay back the donors who helped keep her alive during her treatments."
Meet Coel Momita, who recently received his 4 gallon pin from the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center. Coel works in Brentwood and is a UCLA staff member. He has donated 32 times and we appreciate all his support. Thank you Coel for your altruistic spirit.
Jorge Sincuir, a frequent donor at the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center, who found himself in need of multiple blood transfusions following a near-fatal car accident. His vehicle hydroplaned crashing into oncoming traffic just north of UCLA on Sunset Blvd. UCLA trauma center had assembled a team and were prepared for his arrival. Jorge suffered a shattered pelvis and hip, a broken arm, and massive internal injuries. He had loss 4-5 units of blood and blood transfusions were essential in saving his life. In a twist of fate, Jorge had been a donor for many years. Jorge said "I never thought I would be on the other side of the equation."
David Luong is the second winner of the UCLA vs. ASU Football Game drawing! David started to donate platelets at the Ackerman Center on the UCLA campus when it first opened in 2009. He continues to donate as often as he can because the Ackerman staff are like family to him. Thank you very much for your kindness and contributions David!
Erik Karling is the winner of the UCLA vs. ASU Football Game drawing! Erik donated platelets for the first time 16 years ago when he was a student at UCLA. He continues to donate today because he knows that with each donation, it means that moms and dads get one more day with their sick child, because a parent gets the help they need to beat an illness and go back home to their kids. Erik said "...a story that could have been a tragedy becomes a story of hope and life and of new beginnings." Thank you Erik for your altruistic spirit and support!
Michael Monrean is the winner of the $250 American Express Gift Card drawing. He started to donate platelets with a friend during his time in college and continues to donate as often as he can since graduating. He decided to buy a new golf club with his AMEX gift card. Thank you Michael for helping our patients!
Jordan Paul is the winner of the Amusement Park drawing including a $50 gas card! Jordan stated to donate on December 26, 2014 and has donated a total of 13 times since. He will visit Disneyland in the very near future. Thank you Jordan for becoming a frequent platelet donor!
Thank you for joining us at the City of Angels Fun Ride on April 26th! Thank you KHS Bicycles & Volkswagen USAfor your support. Seven bicycles were raffled along with helmets, jerseys, pumps, tires, a rack, lights, tool kits, inflators among other things. It was a beautiful day full of bicycles and cycling enthusiast.
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Howard Pennington, one of our super star platelet donors, won the autographed jersey. Howard started donating in 1999 after being inspired by a presentation on donating blood at his new employee orientation. He has been donating ever since and maxes out his platelet donations of 24 times per year.
Ray Barsante, a UCLA student won the autographed basketball. He is so excited he won and hasn't completely processed winning the ball. His mom works at the VA, so she was the one who got him to start donating. He donates as often as he can.
On January 30, 2015 Brandon received the rare opportunity to meet with 40 of the people who helped saved his life through blood donations. Brandon nearly died in a motorcycle accident on April 27th and in efforts to save him received over 200 units of blood products. During the event, Brandon was able to share his story with the donors that helped save his life and personally thank them by saying "...a part of you is inside of me and that's why I'm standing here today."
Winner of the Amazon Gift Card.
Jessica is a regular platelet donor who donates anytime she is eligible. Thank you Jessica for your incredible efforts and support!
Winner of the Amazon Gift Card.
Jeremy has been donating about twice a month for the last three years since his Freshman year at UCLA. As a Senior, he continues to donate platelets because he knows how much it helps the patients at UCLA. Thanks Jeremy for your dedication and support!
Winner of the Amazon Gift Card.
Harpunit started to donate because his grandfather needed blood and continues because of the constant need. He does not know what he will do with the gift card. Thank you for your help Harpunit!
Winner of the Amazon Gift Card.
Dean is a regular platelet donor who has donated 50 times since 2008. Dean believed that he would never win but thankfully one of our staff members convinced him to enter the raffle. Dean plans on buying something for his kids with the gift card. Congratulations Dean!
Winner of the Amazon Gift Card.
Caline has donated every quarter since she first started here at UCLA. Although she is afraid of needles, she keeps coming back because donating blood makes her feel good. She plans to continue donating while she is here at UCLA. She is very excited to have won the Amazon gift card and says she will be using it to buy Christmas gifts for her family.
Winner of the Amazon Gift Card.
Ana is a regular platelet donor who encourages everyone in her department to donate on a regular basis. Thank you Ana!
Winner of the UCLA vs USC Game Tickets.
Ben has always donated blood, but recently starting donating platelets because he loves the fact that he can help more people. He usually donates before going into work and loves the movie selection. This is the first time Ben has won anything and will also be his first football game.
Congratulations to Benjamin Trieu for winning the UCLA vs USC Football Tickets!
Winner of the Theme Park Tickets.
Montana is a student at UCLA in the department of Neuroscience and will be applying to medical school in the near future. She has donated several times to help UCLA patients. She explained that since her dad passed from Leukemia, she has made an effort to help out and donate as much as possible. Montana decided she wanted to go to her favorite place in the world, so she will be going to Disneyland very soon.
Winner of the $75 Amazon gift card for the week of July 7th - July 12th.
Regina started to donate platelets after picking up an Apheresis information sheet and thought the process sounded interesting. She said "I started to donating whole blood "a hundred years ago"...and started platelet donations in 1985". After the Apheresis unit at the Los Angeles VA closed, Regina called several hospitals because she knew she had to continue donating. She said "UCLA had a perfect setup, and here I am. I donate platelets every two weeks". She donates for several reasons including the ability to give a second chance at life and because she loves to socialize with the UCLA Blood Center staff at Gayley. Regina said she does all her shopping online and the gift card will definitely help.
Winner of the $75 Amazon gift card for the week of June 30th - July 5th.
Dyeyell is studying Anthropology at UCLA. She started donating blood in high school. She continues to donate because she understands the constant need and may need it herself one day. Recently she started donating platelets because even fewer people give them. Dyeyell is going to England in the fall and plans to use the Amazon gift card to buy a backpack for the hiking she will do while there.
Winner of the $75 Amazon gift card for the week of June 23rd - June 28th.
John has worked for UCLA Housing and Hospitality for 27 years and has contributed almost 100 donations to the Blood & Platelet Center to help patients at UCLA hospitals. John said, "I was told I was O positive, CMV negative and that I was able to donate to new born babies" and he was thrilled. It would be the start of a great commitment to help those most desperately in need. Over the years John has also motivated others in his work area to donate. John states, "Before it was just me donating, now there is a group of about 40-50 of us who donate." John also wanted to thank his supervisor, Riges Mesko, for his continuous support over the years,that has allowed him to donate. John plans on getting guitar books with his Amazon gift card.
Richard is the winner of the Let The Madness Begin 2013 promotion. He received a framed UCLA Men's Basketball Jersey. Richard has made 149 life-saving donations of blood, platelets and plasma. We truly appreciate your commitment, support, and time Richard. THANK YOU!
Michael is the winner of the Let The Madness Begin 2013 promotion. He received a framed UCLA Men's Basketball. Michael started to donate for the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center in 2012 and has made a total of 8 donations. Thanks you Michael for your blood, platelets and plasma donations!
Selby is the winner of the two Knott's Berry Farm admission tickets. Selby has donated over 190 units of blood and platelets since 1992. Thank you Selby for your outstanding commitment to helping others. Hope you enjoy your trip to Knott's Berry Farm!
For the second consecutive year the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center has been the beneficiary of funds raised by the 2012 Volkswagen City of Angels Fun Ride. The ride begins at the Los Angeles Police Academy in Elysian Park and continues through greater Los Angeles. This year's 15th annual bicycle ride was the most successful yet, raising $43,500. City of Angels Fun Ride was sponsored by Neftin Volkswagen in Thousand Oaks with help from Pace Sportswear of Garden Grove. Thanks to the amazing Peter Heumann and his family who work to make this happen yearly, the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center has received a combined donation of $73,500 over the past two years. The funds from the Fun Ride will be used to purchase a new box truck, which will be an important tool in the transportation of equipment to blood drives and to our ability to collect blood.
On Sunday, April 22, 2012 the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center participated in the 15th Annual Volkswagen City of Angels Fun Ride at the Los Angeles Police Academy. The Fun Ride supported two routes, advanced and recreational, both with LAPD rolling traffic closure. There were over 1000 participants present at the event, which allowed all of them to see Los Angeles in a unique and fun way. The routes offered scenic, cultural and historic sites for riders including Downtown Los Angeles, East LA, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Staples Center, Hollywood, the Coliseum, Griffith Park and many other sites. The profits from the Volkswagen City of Angels Fun Ride will be given to the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center to purchase a new box truck, which will help transport supplies to blood drives. After the ride, friends and family were provided a delicious lunch, a finisher's medal, and an event t-shirt. Some of the participants also went "the extra mile" and donated blood after the ride. Overall the event was a success with friendly volunteers, staff, and participants. Thank you to all of the participants, sponsors, volunteers, and organizations that made this event possible.
On Tuesday April 17, 2012 the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center participated in the PAC-12 Well-U Week. The PAC-12 Well-U Week event allowed participants to be part of on-campus events that helped evaluate various components of their health and wellbeing. The event offered free fitness classes, green event planning workshops, fitness improvement activities, stress reduction recommendations and information about the benefits of donating blood for UCLA.
"I am currently a freshman majoring in Design | Media Arts and I am genuinely enjoying my studies here at UCLA. Originally from the Bay Area, I consider the art programs at my high school in Walnut Creek, Northgate High, and the San Francisco YMCA as the nurturers of my creative gifts. Coming into UCLA I have won national and regional awards from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as well as scholarship awards from the Growing Up Asian in America Art & Writing Awards. My work has also been exhibited at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and Zeum: San Francisco's Children's Museum. Most recently at UCLA, my work was a part of the 2012 Design | Media Arts Undergraduate Exhibition in the Wight Gallery, Broad Art Center. I was later selected as one of the 2012 Undergraduate Exhibition Scholarship Award winners."
"As my work began to mature, I found interest in public health and consumerism related issues. My interest in health and nutrition largely encouraged me to participate in designing graphics for the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center. This opportunity has truly assured me that I could merge both of my interests in a way that benefits the larger community. As a way to both pursue my interest in health and broaden my studies here at UCLA, I intend to minor in Public Health."
"While I was designing the blood drive flyers and posters, I imagined the thought process of prospective donors. I believe many would agree that blood drive flyers are common residents on walls and bulletin boards; they are literal, to-the-point, and informational. Thus, I strived to create flyers that would appear more visually appealing and inviting to viewers but kept the vital information easy to read and stayed true to the purpose of the flyers."
On February 15, 2012 the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center took part in the "I Heart Walking" event. The event encourages UCLA staff and faculty to step out of their work areas and walk to improve their personal health and the environment. The UCLA Blood & Platelet Center provided water and other drinks to hydrate the walkers as they made their way through Westwood Village and to inform them of the Centers' locations and answer questions about blood and platelet donations.
In early 2010, Donovan Ho was diagnosed with myocardial myopathy, a condition in which weak heart muscles cause the organ to expand. Donovan was told he would need a heart transplant. While Donovan waited for the transplant, he was placed on an assist device. The assist device used platelets, which allowed Donovan to remain stable while he waited for the heart transplant. Donovan had his heart transplant surgery in March 2010, which used a total of 72 units of blood, platelets, and plasma.
On January 27, 2012 at the Annual Donor Recognition Luncheon, Donovan Ho was given the opportunity to meet 11 of the donors that helped save his life. The donors ranged in age, ethnicity, and professions. The Donor Recognition Luncheon focused on bringing together Donovan and his donors and giving him the opportunity to personally thank them.
It is unusual for donors to meet the recipient because of confidentiality laws. The UCLA Blood & Platelet Center made it possible after an extensive series of consent forms for the donors and the recipient. The annual event emphasizes the impact blood and platelet donors make each time they donate.
During the 8th Annual Donor Recognition Luncheon, Donovan said "It's people like you who continue to donate blood, allow people like me to stay alive and livelong happy and productive lives..." when speaking to Bonnie Rejaei, Dr. Josephine Isabel-Jones, Patrick Denny, Danny Varzi, Dan Le, John Manion, Daniel Goodman, Tony Kostas, Sean Holland Ross Carmichael, and Kevin Ellis, the 11 donors who he described as his "unsung heroes."
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