Never Forget

If you ask just about anyone who is old enough to remember where they were when news that JFK was shot, they can probably tell you.

If you ask anyone where they were on September 11, 2001, you’ll probably get an answer as though it was yesterday.

I had moved that weekend from LaPorte to my apartment in South Bend. I had taken that Monday and Tuesday off to get settled and had talked to a friend at work when she told me that a plane had flown into one of the towers at the World Trade Center.

In a matter of seconds, I hooked my TV up and started watching the coverage.  There was mass chaos as people were unsure of where their loved ones were.  So many people were on their cell phones that many people were unable to complete their calls. Many were trapped in the city, unable to get home because the subway was shut down. Soon, all planes would be grounded and millions of people were stuck in airports across the United States.

At the South Bend Medical Foundation, people lined up around the building to donate blood. They waited for hours because they wanted to do something to help those injured in New York. So many people wanted to help that we had almost too much blood. For days, people showed their support by flying the American Flag, wearing red, white and blue pins and donating money to those affected by the terrorist attacks. We vowed we would never forget.

Unfortunately, 10 years ago we had lines wrapped around the building, while two years ago we were alerting the news media because donations were so low that we had fallen to a one day supply of O negative blood. Last year, donors beds remained nearly empty again and our supplies fell drastically.

This year, South Bend Medical Foundation will mark the 10 year anniversary of the tragic events in New York by hosting a blood drive in honor of Katie McCloskey and Kathy Hawk Nicosia. Both were natives of South Bend and both graduated from Adams High School. 

Katie’s friends and family have established a scholarship fund in memory of Katie at Adams High School. South Bend Medical Foundation will donate $5 per unit collected to the fund.

If you would like to show your support for our local fire and police agencies and honor Katie and Kathy by donating blood, sign up for an appointment to donate blood at the South Bend Fire House, 1222 South Michigan Street on Sunday, September 11 between 10am and 3pm. Appointments can be made by calling 574.234.1157 or by signing up online at http://bit.ly/911HERO. 

Many donors are still eligible to donate even if they are taking medications. If you have questions about your eligibility please contact 574.234.1157 or donors@sbmf.org.  Volunteers will be on hand to provide activities for children if you need to bring them while you donate.