2nd Annual Mud for Blood Drive

by Chuck Holmgreen, President Georgia Bounty Runners, April 2, 2005

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor hail, nor 45 mph winds will dampen the spirit of giving for the members of our wonderful sport. Yes, we had all the basic elements of weather – and they all happened in one day! Yet even considering the weather, this year was more successful than last year.

Despite the wild and not too pleasant weather, we registered 102 donors. That beat last year’s drive by eight. That may not sound like much, but last year’s weather was a whole lot better – if I remember correctly I got sunburned last year. This year, I got wind burned.

There are few people that deserve very special thanks for making this year’s blood drive happen. Jessie Gillette and Eric Tholen from Life South. They made sure to come with extra staff this year to make sure the process was quick and relatively painless. They succeeded.

Most importantly, however, is Clint Crites of the Georgia Bounty Runners. Clint has been the spearhead of both of our blood drives, and will continue to be for many more. Next time you see him, please shake his hand. Thanks to Clint – this event is the largest private donation event of the year for Life South. Now that’s someone who is truly giving back to their community!!

The Mud for Blood Drive will continue to grow in the future. We have had such success that we are gaining attention. The last two years, Clint has had to search out the location and then convince the owner of that location why they should allow us to use their parking lot. For 2006, we’ve already had two offers from businesses that want to host the 3rd Annual Mud for Blood Drive. That could not have happened without your attendance.

We had a lot of fun this year despite the weather. We had food, hot drinks, a Real World Truck Revue, and an RTI ramp. So let me ask you – When have you ever been able to see your friends, give blood, and watch a Pinzgauer, a 50’s vintage (highly modified) Chevy pickup, and a 2005 Dodge Power Wagon test their flex on an RTI ramp? I’ll venture a guess and say “never”.

There were many prizes given this year. For the Real World Rig Revue, here is a sampling of the awards given out:

• Best In Show - Tom McNeeley of Southern Jeeps
• Presidents Choice - Kerry VanderPool of Georgia Bounty Runners
• Vendors Choice - Ralph Ringo of Georgia Bounty Runners
• Life South’s Choice - Chris Hood of Bad Old Trucks
• Best Vanity Tag - Andrew Beishline of Southern Jeeps (TRLBSS)
• Best Pirate - Mike Seeley of Southern Jeeps (be careful what you ask for)

The vendors we had this year really added to the excitement, and I would like to thank them. They are:

• 4 Wheel Parts Performance Centers – especially Albert Boswell, store manager of the store on Buford Hwy in Norcross Georgia. Albert donated our Granddaddy prize, the 8000 lb Warn Winch won by Eric Hummel of GBR.
• 4 Wheel Drive Parts Wholesalers
• 4x4 Customs
• Northern Tool & Equipment
• O’Charley’s
• Woodstock Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
• Driveline Service of Atlanta – Northside Store
• Emory Dunwoody Medical Center
• Honey Baked Ham
• Stevi B’s Pizza
• Ruby Tuesday

Also part of this year’s blood drive was a Silent Auction. Many of us donated items for sale for two specific things. First, in an effort to keep our members safe, GBR is raising money for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Second, something close to all of us – Southern Jeeps had a member pass away rather unexpectedly. She left a husband and two small children behind. We have been putting together donations to purchase a savings bond for each child. With your help, we generated $700 with the silent auction. The proceeds will be split evenly between those two causes.

The most important part of the entire event is the donation of blood. Our success is measured in units of usable blood donated. At the time of writing, that number is not known yet. However, for comparison purposes, last year we had 94 people registered. Out of that, we had 86 units of usable blood. This year, despite the uncooperative weather, we had 102 people registered. Understanding that each unit of blood gets separated into its three components, Red Blood Cells, Plasma, and Platelets, that means that we helped out nearly 300 people. That is an unqualified success.

The local clubs that were represented were, Georgia Bounty Runners, Southern Jeeps, Georgia Cruisers, Georgia Toyota Tacoma Off Road Association, Bad Old Trucks, Renegade 4WD Club, Georgia 4x4, and Solaros. It is with their help that we are able to put on Life South’s largest private donation event of the year.

Thank you to all who donated. I guarantee you will touch someone’s life with your gift.

We will see ya’ll next year!!