Sisters man gives 100th unit of blood

Earl Schroeder is a giving sort of person. The Sisters resident is an active member of Sisters Kiwanis, works diligently with the veterans community in Sisters and is active in the Lutheran church.

This week, his giving nature hit a milestone. Schroeder donated his 100th unit of blood at the Sisters Kiwanis-sponsored Red Cross Blood Drive at the Sisters Fire Hall on Monday. That's 12.5 gallons.

The occasion was a bigger deal for blood drive organizers than it was for Schroeder, who takes such efforts in stride. He started giving blood in the Air Force "and just kept doing it," he said.

Schroeder usually donates blood four times a year and he's been doing it for 25 years.

"It was there; it was easy to do - and I always get double cookies," he said with a grin.

Blood donation provides a critical health care resource. Sisters is consistently a high-response community, according to the Red Cross.

"We never worry about Sisters," said Jen Collins of the local chapter. "They always fill; they always go to goal."

Pressed to define what it is that motivates him to give back on so many fronts, Schroeder shrugged and said, "The Lord gave me extra energy, and I thought I'd give it to anyone who needs it, I guess," he mused. "I don't know! I never think about it."

He does, however, have a philosophy: "Do your thing as much as you can, as long as you can and have joy in doing it."

As he checked in to donate his 100th unit, Schroeder flashed his donor card and pointed out his blood type.

"That probably tells you my attitude toward life," he said.

The card read: A Positive.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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