'Tis The Season

As the holidays approach, many begin to ponder which charitable organizations they would like to support. We hope that you consider the Foundation for America’s Blood Centers (FABC) in your charitable gift planning this year! 2014 has been an exciting year for both ABC and the FABC.  

One of our biggest new projects is the development of the ABC Professional Institute (API). Set to launch this spring as part of the new ABC members’ website, the API promises to be a cutting edge educational resource that will benefit all blood banking professionals at ABC’s member centers and in the industry. We offer a variety of sponsorship levels to give everyone the chance to be a part of the API! 

The blood banking industry lost a dear friend this year with the passing of Jerry Haarmann, former president and CEO of GSABC. Jerry was a dedicated leader in the blood banking industry for over 20 years. A group of his former colleagues came together to memorialize Jerry by creating the Jerry Haarmann Memorial Campaign. We seek to raise $25,000 in honor of Jerry to support a blood banking certificate program named after him, which will be offered through the API. You can contribute to the Jerry Haarmann Memorial Fund here. 

We are also planning a few fun events to benefit the FABC, taking place at our ABC Annual Meeting this March in Washington, D.C. On Sunday, March 22 you can hit the Top of the Town for “A Monumental Affair” to catch the best views of Washington while mingling and dining with colleagues. You’ll experience breathtaking views and a hysterical performance by The Capitol Steps, a political satire comedy group. For the true Washington experience, I suggest upgrading to the VIP ticket for a moonlit luxury limo tour of the DC Monuments after the event, complete with strawberries and champagne. 

Last but not least, we are hosting the first ever ABC’s Got Talent show on Monday, March 23! There are many ways to get involved – you even have time to enter your talent before the Dec. 31 deadline! Stay tuned to theABC Newsletterin early January when you’ll be able to vote on the contestants’ videosandsupport the FABC through a minimum suggested donation of $10 per vote! 

So, as you finish your shopping (through our Amazon Smile account of course!) and start thinking about your year-end donations, please consider contributing to the FABC in one of the many ways listed above. Your contributions will help us continue supporting the life-saving mission of community blood centers, and to make the season a little brighter for patients in need of blood and their families.

Jodi Zand, Manager, Fundraising & Events; jzand@americasblood.org