Dawn Spence understands the importance of donating blood, especially if it helps others in your own community. The Tomah resident was one of 84 donors to take part in a two-day Tomah Health / Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin drive at Tomah Recreation Park, Nov. 19.
Blood collected during the Tomah drives helps to support over 60 hospitals in Wisconsin including Tomah Health.
“It’s huge,” said Spence. “To have a hospital like Tomah Health in our community and just to be able to help other people, it’s just a good thing to do.”
More than 50% of Versiti’s blood supply comes from drives like the ones held in Tomah. “Blood inventories across Wisconsin are lower than desired, with certain blood types holding less than a two-day supply. These limited reserves underscore the ongoing need for community donors to help maintain the community blood supply,” said Versiti Blood Center account representative Garron Bowers.
He said collections during the Nov. 19 & 20 drive will help over 250 patients at community hospitals. “The success of the Tomah Health blood drive will ensure that patients receive transfusions on time, surgeries stay on schedule, and families are able to spend more time with their loved ones,” said Bowers. “This was a tremendous effort by the entire community, and the impact is real. Many lives have been saved because of this community. I cannot thank the people of Tomah enough.”
Spence said she has been donating at Versiti drives for over 12 years and plans to continue giving. “It’s a wonderful setup here. They do a good job, professional job, and set your mind at ease that, you know, things are done right.”
The November drive was the final one in 2025. Tomah Health and Versiti plan to hold six drives in 2026, with the first one scheduled Jan. 14 & 15 at Recreation Park in Tomah. “I hope to see everyone return, because unfortunately, blood does have a shelf life. By the time these next drives arrive, every unit collected at this recent drive will already have been used to help someone in need,” added Bowers.