LIHU‘E — Dave Spanski was trying to elude the excitement in the atrium of the Mo‘ikeha Building Thursday morning.
“It’s just like him,” said Aaron Knapp, director of donor services for the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i. “We were wondering if he was even going to show up.”
Spanski, after 20 years of voluntarily coordinating blood drives for the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i on Kaua‘i, was honored by a Super Donor Day proclamation from Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. who was joined by Knapp, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i field representative Cindy Rapu and fellow county workers for the occasion.
“It’s not about me,” Spanski said. “It’s all about everyone else who donates to the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i.”
Carvalho said Spanski is recognized for attaining honors as a “Super Donor” for the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i following his service as the County of Kaua‘i Blood Bank Coordinator from April 1992 to December 2011.
Spanski hosted his first coordinated drive at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall and for the next 20 years coordinated two county-sponsored blood drives per year.
In 2008, he expanded to coordinate three blood drives per year while soliciting participation from county employees, arriving early at the drive sites on the day of the blood drives to deliver ice, juice and snacks which he solicited from local businesses and county employees.
A regular donor for more than 20 years, Spanski became a “Super Donor in August 2012, an honor bestowed on individuals who donate 56 pints of blood, or more, during their lifetime, the proclamation states, declaring Thursday as “Super Donor Dave Spanski Day.”
During the time Spanski volunteered his time to assist with the blood drives, more than 4,355 pints of blood has been contributed by the community, equating to help save lives, or impacting lives of more than 13,000 people in the State of Hawai‘i.
“A pint of blood goes a long way,” Knapp said. “It makes a big difference. A single blood donation can help assist the lives of up to three people.”
Kaua‘i’s people have contributed about 2,000 pints of blood toward the 60,000 pints from more than 25,000 donors who gave blood in Hawai‘i last year.
Blood bank officials estimate that 60 percent of the general population will need blood during their lifetime, but only two percent of the entire population donates blood.
Reservations are being taken for the next blood drive on Kaua‘i, which will take place Dec. 10 and 11 at the Kaua‘i Marriott Resort and Beach Club, and Dec. 12 at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 10 at the Kaua‘i Marriott; 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Kaua‘i Marriott; and 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 12 at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i.
Requests must be made at least 72 hours in advance.
Visit www.bbh.org for more information and to make appointments for contributions.
