By ANNA GILGOFF

Special to The Press

As community members reported to donate blood, Barbara Gates, account manager for Miller-Keystone Blood Center was ready to warmly welcome them at a table set up inside the New Tripoli Fire Hall.

“It’s been good,” she said. “Our schedule was full. We had 54 donors and every slot was taken with only two no shows.”

Gates said donors ranged in age from high schoolers, middle-aged working people and seniors.

Inside, Key Club Adviser Bob Biese was getting ready to make his own donation.

“We moved it indoors which always is better,” he said. “Everyone is doing a very good job.”

The first blood drive of the year was held in the parking lot of the New Tripoli Fire Company.

“It went even better this time because of a combination of everything,” Biese said. “January was just different.

“Kids just love getting involved is what this means.

“I hope they continue doing it when they leave school.”

Donor Katrina Knittle said she gave blood when she attended school.

“I used to do it when I was in school, but I haven’t done it in a while,” said Knittle, as she was called into the community room, ready to revive the practice.

For many, donating blood has become almost a routine part of life.

“I try to do it every time,” said high school teacher Ann Way. “I get emails from Bob [Biese] and I get emails from the blood bank. They communicate so well.”

Biese attributes his own commitment to the blood drive to former co-worker, math teacher Sue Barnett.

He said that before she retired, Barnett entrusted Key Club’s mission to the blood drive to him.

Family health crises increased his devotion to sponsoring blood drives at the high school.

Biese has dealt with more than 30 blood drives.

“We have to wait until it’s right to get back to school,” he explained.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Biese has his eye on the future as far as establishing a “new relationship with the New Tripoli Fire Company in helping them plan for their blood drive.”

“The fire company wants to run one here in the summer, if the school doesn’t run it,” Gates said. “Weisenberg Elementary is having one on May 6.

“The Weisenberg PTO has done this several times before.

“In the next couple of weeks we’ll probably have that registration open.”