Schoessow twins host successful blood drive

Caleb and Abby Schoessow hosted their third annual birthday blood drive March 27.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. requires blood. Last week in Granton, Caleb and Abby Schoessow, along with their parents, hosted their third annual blood drive in partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin to address the national blood crisis.

The March 27 event saw an overwhelming response from the community, with 76 people coming forward to donate. Thanks to the concerted efforts of Caleb, Abby and their team, 50 individuals donated whole blood, while an additional 10 contributed double red blood cells, resulting in a total of 70 units of blood collected. This remarkable act of generosity has the potential to impact the lives of 210 residents of central Wisconsin, because every unit collected can save up to three lives.

Choosing to collaborate with Versiti Blood Center was a strategic decision by the twins, as Versiti serves as the primary supplier to Marshfield Medical Center and over 50 other hospitals in the region. By partnering with Versiti, Caleb and Abby ensured their contributions would directly benefit those in need within their community.

Reflecting on the day’s achievements, Abby expressed gratitude for the remarkable turnout of firsttime donors.

“Today, we had 20 firsttime donors step forward, which is truly fantastic,” she said. “Our youngest donor just turned 16 years old two weeks ago, while our oldest was 82. This underscores the fact that anyone can make a difference through blood donation. We hope that this act of kindness inspires others to make regular blood donation a part of their lives.”

Caleb echoed his sister’s sentiments, highlighting the significant participation from their school community.

“We had 13 students from our school join us in donating blood today, which accounts for just over a quarter of our high school population,” he shared. “Their support underscores the spirit of unity and compassion that defines the Granton school and our amazing community.”

The success of the blood drive has reinforced the commitment of Caleb and Abby to continue their efforts in supporting their community.

The next Versiti community blood drive is scheduled for May 29 at Zion Lutheran Church in Granton, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Walkins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged and can be scheduled online at donate.wisconsin.versiti. org/donor/schedules/zip or by calling 1-877-232-4376 (BE A HERO).

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO VALORIE BRECHT/STAFF PHOTO

Above, Walter Wesenberg donates blood, assisted by Allison Breske. He participated in the March 22 American Red Cross blood drive at Greenwood High School, hosted by the Greenwood FFA. Visit redcrossblood.org to register for upcoming drives.