The Peru Gazette

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PLATTSBURGH, NY (12/15/2021) — The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH)’s Adirondack Regional Blood Center is asking all eligible blood donors to give as the region faces a shortage of blood and blood products.

Blood Bank Manager Christina Beck said the holidays are a traditionally slow time for donations but the need for blood never wanes.  “This year, even before the holidays are in full swing, we’re experiencing a shortage. If you are ‘making a list and checking it twice’ we’re hoping we are on your list,” she said.

Blood collected by the Adirondack Regional Blood Center stays in the North Country, helping hundreds of people in this region at hospitals in Elizabethtown, Plattsburgh, Malone, Massena, and Saranac Lake. “We welcome all donors and are hoping those with type O blood will drop by one of our community drives or stop in the Donor Center,” Beck said.

The Donor Center at 85 Plaza Blvd. is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community drives are as follows:

• Tuesday, December 21, Adirondack Medical Center, Redfield Room, Noon to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 22, Malone Callfiremen Station, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Thursday, December 23, CVPH Auditoriums, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday, December 27, Champlain EMS, co-sponsor Knights of Columbus, 3 to 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 28, Ellenburg Knights of Columbus, 2 to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, December 30, Champlain Centre, 2 to 6 p.m.
• Friday, December 31, Clinton County Advocacy and Resource Center, New York Road, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Beck thanked community drive sponsors and the many dedicated blood donors throughout the region. “By giving blood, you’re giving a wonderful gift – the gift of life and of hope,” she said.

Blood donors are now registered electronically and should have their donor card or another form of identification with them to donate. To protect the safety of the donors and the donor team during a community drive, a number of safety measures are in place. Donors undergo a COVID -19 screening and phlebotomists are able to limit close contact while still providing exceptional care. Phlebotomists and donors are masked and cots are placed an appropriate distance apart.

Learn more about the Adirondack Regional Blood Center at UVMHealth.org/GiveBlood or by calling (518) 562-7406.

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“I am proud to support many of the projects Governor Hochul announced will be receiving funding as part of the most recent round of REDC grants. This funding will go towards community enhancement and will help local towns, municipalities and nonprofits improve water infrastructure, expand regional sports and recreational activities, increase tourism, and continue to make the North Country a great place to live. In total, my district will receive $8,233,130 for economic development projects and I want to congratulate all of the projects that received funding in the North Country. This is great news for our region, and I look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition.”

Here is a breakdown of the winners in Assembly District 115:

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Kirsten O’Jida Blair (L) with her wife Crystal, and their children Liah, 10; Jazlynn, 6; and Olivia, 4.

Peru – Thanks to a letter to Santa from 10-year-old Liah O’Jida Blair, her mom’s reaction, and many peoples’ generosity, hundreds of local children will enjoy a more joyful Christmas. The young Peru girl wrote to Santa asking him to bring presents to kids whose families can’t get them gifts. Leah’s mom Kirsten Ojida-Blair couldn’t help but try to fulfill her child’s wish, so she decided to ‘fill the truck’ with gifts for local foster children. O’Jida Blair is familiar with the situations many foster children face. Before adopting them, she and her wife Crystal fostered two of their daughters Jazlynn, 6. and Olivia, 4, through the Clinton County Department of Social Services (DDS).  

When word of Kirsten’s goal got out through friends and social media, her co-workers, friends, family, and the community responded in a big way. Yesterday, several DDS staff members gasped when Kirsten opened the doors of a U-Haul trailer, revealing hundreds of gifts. It took several volunteers almost 30 minutes to bring them all inside. Over the next few days, DDS staff members will sort the gifts and deliver them to the children they serve throughout the county.

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