Blood drive raises awareness for heart health

AMENIA — With just an hour of their time and a pint of their blood, local residents found a meaningful way to give back to those in need by making a donation at the eighth annual Amenia Blood Drive on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

For many, the month of February is a time to celebrate the heart, whether they’re exchanging valentines with their loved ones or observing American Heart Month. In Amenia, the annual blood drive is an occasion held especially near to the heart of the Klingner family.

Following her husband Christopher’s heart attack in 2013 (he’s also the town constable), Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner began organizing the annual blood drive as her way of giving back or, in Chris’s words, “paying it forward.” Recalling how incredibly scary the experience was for him, Chris said he underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery at Vassar Hospital in Valhalla, where he said he received phenomenal care. However, following his surgery, he was still experiencing difficulties and was told by his doctor that he needed two pints of blood. Instantly, he said, he felt better after the blood transfusion.

Eight years later, Dawn Marie said Chris has stayed active and on guard, taking his prescriptions and trying to do everything the doctors have prescribed. Yet the experience stayed with her and Chris and motivated them to “pay it forward” by organizing a blood drive every  year to help others.

Partnering with the New York Blood Center (NYBC), Dawn Marie said the town has developed a great relationship with the blood center as they make the community aware of heart safety. Chris added that the NYBC was an organization he had donated to in the past. Their collaboration draws residents from Amenia and neighboring towns to donate blood; Dawn Marie shared her appreciation for how the annual event gets bigger and better every year.

“It means so much to us because Chris needed blood in his incident, and you don’t realize the simplicity of an hour and giving your blood,” she said. “It could happen to any one of our families. No one’s alone — we’re there to help each other.”

“With a newfound outlook on life and being on the young side without a great understanding of family history, I had the biggest scare of my life and of my family’s life,” Chris said. “It was such a huge scare for all of us and to this day sits on my family’s mind. I speak to people so hopefully they have a better understanding about their health, their family history, seeing a doctor on a normal basis and simply just being aware of heart health.” 

Guided by a trail of brightly-colored balloons with the New York Blood Center logo stamped on them, donors found their way to the Amenia Town Hall gymnasium, where cots were set up. From the ample amount of space among the donor stations to the requirement that everyone wear masks, COVID-19 restrictions were followed and social distancing was maintained. 

In terms of how the pandemic has impacted donations, Dawn Marie remarked, “I actually think it helped because I think people were cooped up in their homes so much that they were happy to come help.”

Running from 2 to 8 p.m., the drive welcomed many a returning donor as well as a number of newcomers. Resting up after donating a pint of blood, Amenia resident Edward DeLaPena shared that he’s been donating ever since the Klingner family started organizing the for the town eight years ago. When asked what brings him back every year, DeLaPena said that, along with the dire need to replenish blood supplies in the state, “I feel good when I do something like this — it makes me feel good.”

As she sat back and made her donation inside the gymnasium, Millbrook resident Kathleen Meyer explained, “I am becoming an EMT [Emergency Medical Technician], so I felt like I should start giving blood regularly because a lot of first responders do.”

When the blood drive officially started at 2 p.m., Dawn Marie was delighted to find all six seats filled by donors. By the end of the day, 43 people had made donations.

“We’re super excited; we’re usually in the mid-20s,” Dawn Marie said in terms of how many people typically donate blood in a single day, “… so this was a great turnout for little Amenia.”

To get more facts about heart health, go to the American Heart Association’s (AHA) website, www.heart.org. According to the site, the AHA is “a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke.”

From left, Zachary, Dawn Marie, Karlie and Christopher Klingner gave heartfelt thanks to the community for attending the eighth annual Amenia Blood Drive. Photo submitted

Amenia resident Edward DeLaPena took a moment to relax after donating a pint of blood at the Amenia Town Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 23. DeLaPena said he donates every year. Photo by Kaitlin Lyle

From left, Zachary, Dawn Marie, Karlie and Christopher Klingner gave heartfelt thanks to the community for attending the eighth annual Amenia Blood Drive. Photo submitted