A perfect match for Blood Donor Month
Wisconsin faced a bitter blast of cold air during January, accompanied by a foot or more of snow in some parts of the state. As the snow fell and temperatures dropped, Todd Bavery did not remain idle in the warmth of his home. Instead, he suited up in a coat, hat, and gloves, and went to volunteer, transporting blood to local hospitals for the Red Cross.
“It was important for me to not just give blood, because I’ve always given blood,” Todd said. “But it became important for me to be a part of the solution.”
A cancer survivor with a rare blood type and sales strategy consultant with American Family, Todd has volunteered at the American Family Insurance Championship as a golf TV spotter — yet he felt destined to do more.
The Red Cross became the perfect match.
Aside from completing three Power Red donations (or donating two units of blood at a given time) a year, Todd was approved to become a Red Cross Blood Transportation Specialist last year. Since then, he has volunteered over 200 hours on weekends or after work, driving boxes of blood, platelets and medical equipment from Madison, Wisconsin to hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
His work and blood donations could not be more relevant, according to Red Cross Transportation Supervisor and Volunteer Coordinator Paul Bittorf. At the beginning of January, the Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage, citing that blood donation totals are the lowest they have been in 20 years. Busy travel season, seasonal illness, climate-driven weather disasters — many factors could be contributing to the sobering stat. No matter the reason, experts say something needs to change.
“It became important for me to be a part of the solution.”
Recognizing blood’s importance is the first step, according to Bittorf. During Blood Donation Month, Bittorf says he is reminded of when he was hired at the Red Cross almost seven years ago. Everyone told him that someday, he would be told he saved a life through one of his donations. “But then it happened,” Bittorf said. “And every time I talk about it the hair stands up on my arms because it’s so special.”
That feeling never gets old for Todd, either, motivating him to continue working with the Red Cross year-round. For those who have not given blood ever or in a while, he encourages them to renew their commitment during Blood Donation Month, rather than making it a one-and-done deal.
“Don’t just do it this month,” Todd said, “Make a commitment.”
For Bavery, that commitment looks like donating blood multiple times a year, donating when a blood drive is available or volunteering in one or multiple roles with the Red Cross. Regardless of what that means for someone else, Bittorf says there’s one thing that unites us all: blood.
He calls it “the gift of life.” For example, when the Red Cross receives a call from a hospital after a car crash, “It doesn’t matter to us who they are, or where they came from, or what it’s about. We will send the blood that will probably save their life.”
And that keeps Todd going, no matter the weather. Looking back on his career at American Family and his personal battle with cancer, he asks himself what he wants to be remembered for. Through the Red Cross, he believes he has found his answer.
“[As a volunteer,] you’re not looking for accolades; you’re not looking for pats on the back,” Todd said. “But you know you’re making a difference.”
American Family Insurance employees and local agency owners — and the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation — support the American Red Cross and blood donation year-round, including during #BloodDonorMonth.
Visit this link to learn about blood donor opportunities in your area.
