Red Cross 'out for blood'

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Rachel Wellman, Beverly Bartz and Mildred Maas are all out for blood.

This coming week, each of them are resuming their long-held positions with the American Red Cross in Brown County as the latest round of blood drives comes to Springfield, Sleepy Eye and New Ulm this week.

The drives are coming in addition to the Red Cross' largest campaigns in its history. According to its website, the Red Cross is taking its Save A Life tour across the country for six months in order to reach a 3 million-donation goal.

The Brown-West Nicollet Red Cross chapter collected about19,000 pints of blood over the past six years. The chapter is aiming to collect an additional 745 pints in this latest drive from all three locations in Brown County.

New Ulm is joining 345 communities around the country on the Save A Life Tour, which began in Los Angeles last month. Free blood typing, entertainment, recognition of local volunteers and the Red Cross' Save A Life Museum will be part of the tour. It will be at Turner Hall from 1-7 p.m. on Thursday.

The Brown-West Nicollet chapter said it plans to recognize Wellman, Bartz and Maas as part of the tour. Together, the three women have about 120 years of Red Cross volunteer experience.

Bartz first joined in 1951 when she was a young registered nurse working both at Sleepy Eye Municipal Hospital and at Sleepy Eye Care Center. She got involved with one of the first blood drives held in Brown County.

"I think it's very worthwhile to donate blood and volunteer," Bartz said from her home in Sleepy Eye. "It's part of my life."

Wellman first got involved around the same time after she learned of relatives and friends that needed blood. She estimates she's personally donated over 11 gallons of blood during the last 40 years.

"I think it's such a worthy thing," she said in New Ulm.

As a nurse, Bartz said there was never a shortage of blood in Sleepy Eye during her watch but she remembers the State Patrol delivering blood of a certain type from New Ulm when it was in shortage. She even gave blood to one of her patients back before AIDS and hepatitis testing became part of the donation process.

Bartz became the co-chair of the Sleepy Eye Red Cross in 1967 and has held that position ever since then.

Ten years later, she asked a friend, Mildred Maas, for help. And Maas has volunteered ever since that time. She estimates she's only missed one blood drive in the entire time she's worked with the Red Cross. These days, her husband, daughters and son-in-law also help out for the Red Cross.

"It grows with you," she said. "It's very interesting and fulfilling."

She said the most interesting part about volunteering is meeting people and working with them. The most fulfilling part is "helping a good cause," she said.

"You feel good doing something for the community and you're also really doing something for yourself because you helped," Maas said.

Bartz said she thinks there's always a shortage of blood but also said she doesn't think Brown County has every had to go without blood because of a shortage.

"There's always a need for blood all over the world," she said. "You can't manufacture it synthetically like some other things."

Bartz said donors should call the Red Cross to make appointments although walk-ins are also welcome.

The Brown-West Nicollet Red Cross blood drive starts in Springfield on Monday, continues to Sleepy Eye on Tuesday and will stay in New Ulm from Wednesday to Friday.

The Brown-West Nicollet chapter can be reached at (507) 233-1111.