20 Years of Friendly Competition Bring Mitchell, Mason to 100-Pint Mark on Same Day
By Ryan Schlehuber

At right: Cara Mason (left) and Ron Mitchell donated their 100th unit of blood at an American Red Cross blood drive at the St. Ignace United Methodist Church Tuesday, December 19. The donating duo worked together at Gros Cap School for 20 years, and started the friendly competition in 1979. Pictured with them is Red Cross nurse Delma Casto of Petoskey.

It took a free steak for Ron Mitchell and a free afternoon off from work for Cara Mason to entice them to donate blood for the first time decades ago, however, as they each reached the 100-pint mark Tuesday, December 19, it was their generous devotion to those who need blood that continued their commitment to donation.

Mr. Mitchell, who now lives in St. Ignace Township and is the chairman of the Mackinac Straits Hospital Board of Directors, was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a young man and was based in Lawry Air Force Base in Denver in 1955 when he heard free steaks were offered for donating blood.

Ms. Mason, now a St. Ignace resident who works at the Driftwood Motel, was working at AAA headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 1969 when she heard about getting an afternoon off from work if she donated blood.

Today, the American Red Cross, a nonprofit organization, is limited in providing such incentives, although it does sometimes hand out T-shirts and ski hats to donors. Both Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Mason said Tuesday that being able to help someone in need of a blood transfusion is incentive enough for them to donate.

“Personally,” said Mr. Mitchell, “donating blood, I think, is something very important. It’s something I can do that is so easy.”

In 1979, Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Mason worked together at Gros Cap School in Moran Township. Mr. Mitchell was the superintendent when Ms. Mason was hired as the administrative assistant. By then, the two were regular donors and eventually went to blood drives together, forming a friendly competition to see who reached 100 units first. One unit of blood equals almost one pint.

This year, 20 years after starting the friendly competition, both reached the 100-pint mark at the same time, fittingly, each donating their 100th unit of blood at a Red Cross blood drive at the St. Ignace United Methodist Church December 19.

As a Red Cross volunteer for more than 20 years, Ms. Mason coordinated as many as five blood drives a year in St. Ignace, providing homemade soup for the donors. She was awarded a Red Cross Certificate of Appreciation in August for her efforts.

She continues to make soup for each of the six drives held each year in St. Ignace, although Mackinac Straits Hospital now coordinates the program, rotating locations at the Methodist Church and LaSalle High School.

Mr. Mitchell has missed only one year since the duo started their competition, owing only to the medication he was taking at the time, which deferred him from donating blood.

Both said they are now working at donating another 100 pints.

“The next 100 will be hard to do,” chuckled Mr. Mitchell, 70.

Ms. Mason remembers one time when she donated blood and the donation was immediately used to help a newborn baby.

“It didn’t stay on the stand but one minute before it was taken,” she said of the unit of blood. “It really makes you realize just how important giving blood is.”

Patients need blood for cancer treatments, surgeries, and emergency care, regardless of the season, according to Red Cross. Blood shortages are typical during the winter holidays, when schedules, travel, and winter weather affect donor turnout, resulting in lower supplies and a bigger demand from increased road accidents.

For the Great Lakes region, 800 units of blood per day are needed, said Biz Bauer, Red Cross senior donor recruitment representative for the northern Michigan area. The city of Detroit needs that amount per day, as well, she said.

For the northern Michigan area, between 40 to 110 units of blood are collected each day, said Ms. Bauer. Her agency tries to average 75 units per day.

Blood type O-positive is in critical demand by the Red Cross.

Red Cross collected 28 units of blood at Tuesday’s blood drive, with 31 people offering to donate. She said the St. Ignace blood drives usually produce between 25 and 35 units per drive.

“Our biggest struggle is getting new people,” said Ms. Bauer. “Holding it at the school is great because it gets so many new young people involved, thanks to the school’s student council and National Honor Society.”

Many people do not donate for a number of reasons, such as not having enough time and being afraid of needles. The number one reason Ms. Bauer hears from people as to why they did not donate is because no one asked them.

“We do advertise as much as we can, but word-of-mouth from a friend is the best way to get people involved,” she said.

The following is a list of scheduled dates and locations for blood drives in the area in January:

January 9 - Les Cheneaux Community Center in Cedarville, noon to 5:45 p.m.

January 12 - Kinross Correctional Facility Training Center in Kincheloe, 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

January 17 - Faith Lutheran Church, 1600 Park Street in Sault Ste. Marie, noon to 5:45 p.m.

Eligible donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good general health.

To learn more about donating blood, call (800) 448-5433 or go online to www.givelife.org