Wichita figures prominently among national award winners recognized this week for their contributions to blood donation.
Wichita Fire Department Capt. Steve Schowalter and The Wichita Eagle and its health reporter, Karen Shideler, were among the 28 people and organizations honored Tuesday by the American Association of Blood Banks in Seattle.
Schowalter was the only person nationwide awarded for his contributions as an individual. Other winners are businesses, educational associations and a group award, which went to the New York City Police Department.
The Eagle won the category for newspaper, in particular for Shideler's work.
Schowalter's involvement began as it remains for most people -- donating blood. He just got his pin for donating 49 gallons.
He ratcheted up his commitment by becoming a pheresis donor and then helping start the Battle of the Badges effort -- a way to get people to donate blood during the holiday season.
According to the blood association, pheresis is the process of removing a specific component of the blood, such as platelets, and returning the remaining components, such as red blood cells and plasma, to the donor.
Schowalter now works to find sponsors for the T-shirts given to donors.
"We have tremendous community support" for the effort, he says, and even with all the disasters worldwide that have competed for donors, "they're still remembering Battle of the Badges, so we should have enough money again."
Shideler has a chance to write often of the need of the Red Cross for blood donations in the pages of The Eagle. She also has personally thanked volunteers during Holiday Donor Days while making her own blood donation.
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