ENGLEWOOD — Nearly 100 Englewood donors helped battle a critical shortage of blood as the July 4th holiday nears by supporting the 19th annual JD’s Old Fashioned Frozen Custard ‘Give a Pint, Get a Pint Blood Drive.’

JD’s has partnered with Union Boulevard neighbor Fairview Brethren in Christ Church for more than a decade, holding blood drives the same day, with JD’s providing coupons for a free pint of JD’s frozen custard to all registered donors at both blood drive locations.

Fairview Brethren also hosted its annual July 4th hot dog cookout for donors, and they could spin the wheel to claim various gifts from the Solvita Blood Center.

The blood drives combined for 97 donors, with 30 donors at JD’s and 67 whole blood, platelet, and plasma donors at Fairview Brethren. It was a nearly 20 percent increase in donors from a year ago.

The goal of ‘Give a Pint, Get a Pint’ is to boost the blood supply before the July 4th holiday period, a predictably disruptive time for blood collection. Solvita is already facing a critical shortage of blood types O and B and other types are in low supply.

Fairview Senior Pastor Mark Ballard donated plasma for his 227 lifetime donation. He began giving blood in 1988 when his daughter was born with a congestive heart defect and needed his direct donation.

“I’m happy that we can do it every month,” said Pastor Ballard. “It’s a pleasure to serve the community and we thank JD’s.”

The ‘Give a Pint, Get a Pint’ tradition continued at Fairview, even when JD’s wasn’t hosting blood drives for three summers of the pandemic. Cindy Gress sold JD’s in 2022 after 25 years of ownership and new owner Barb Fischer has continued the blood drive sponsorship.

Arcanum donor Brenda Chrisman made her milestone 100th lifetime donation aboard the Bloodmobile at JD’s.

“I’m the school nurse at Franklin Monroe High School and I try to go every eight weeks,” she said. “I thought if I would donate, the kids would start.”

Brenda had hoped to reach 100 donations before the school year ended. When she got a call about donating at JD’s she said, “Sure – I get ice cream!” She celebrated her milestone donation with a free pint of custard with her favorite ingredient, peanut butter.

Union donor Sarah Miller donated platelets at Fairview and came to JD’s to use her coupon to claim a favorite flavor of custard.

“I go monthly to do platelets,” Sarah said. “I’m a cancer survivor. I had breast cancer in 2014, and this is my 10th anniversary.”

A free pint of frozen custard was again a perfect way to celebrate.

Solvita is in urgent need of multiple blood types, including a critical shortage of type O and B. Schedule an appointment to donate on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.

Submitted photos

Brenda Chrisman (left) of Arcanum, the school nurse at Franklin Monroe High School, made her 100th lifetime donation and Sarah Miller of Union, donated blood on the 10th anniversary of surviving breast cancer at the 19th annual JD’s Old Fashioned Frozen Custard ‘Give a Pint, Get a Pint Blood Drive.’