The ever-present need for blood donations was painfully clear to Lisa Stasko even before she began organizing blood drives. Her son needed multiple transfusions several years ago, and that was even before the pandemic depleted some of the supply.
Stasko is gung-ho about raising donations for her current blood drive at Fitness Premier 24/7 Club in Crete, which she co-owns with Samantha Gorman. Gorman is equally passionate about the other blood drive she’s organizing at her franchise in Monee.
Stasko, who has co-owned her franchise since 2015, said her son was diagnosed a year after it opened with severe aplastic anemia, a rare blood and bone marrow disease that required transfusions daily. He will be 20 on March 16 and is in remission.
“Until you have to go through something like that, you really have no idea the importance of blood donations,” Stasko said. “There were times when we had to wait a few hours to get a transfusion due to the fact that they didn’t have it at the hospital or that much.
“If we didn’t have those donations, he wouldn’t be here.”
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Stasko has been organizing the blood drives at her club since the end of 2016. For the past two years they’ve been quarterly and she said she gets a lot of repeat donors.
“Everybody knows somebody who’s been through it and knows how important it is,” Stasko said.
Stasko’s club often competes with others in blood donation contests. Her club has won for the most donors/blood several times, but the point is to get the most blood, not outdo the other clubs, she said, calling it “a friendly competition.”
This is the first time Gorman has done a blood drive at her Monee club.
“I think for me obviously it’s very near and dear to my partner’s heart and it’s something she’s very passionate about so it feels right to support her,” she said.
Gorman said besides helping a good cause, the blood drives and other events at the fitness centers help foster a sense of community.
“We’re really dedicated to getting to know our members, not just their fitness but on a personal level, we want to know about their family, what’s going on in their personal lives and make sure they’re being taken care of,” said Gorman. “It’s a giant support system.”
The Crete blood drive is March 5, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1379 Main St. and information is at [email protected].
The Monee blood drive is March 12, 8 a.m. to noon, 5602 W. Monee Manhattan Rd., [email protected]
There is also a blood drive at the Manhattan location, April 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 540 W. North St., [email protected].
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.