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Firefighters Make a Difference in Second Annual Bucket Brigade
Santa Rosa, CA (March 4, 2008) Blood Bank of the Redwoods, the blood center serving Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties, is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Bucket Brigade a huge success.
Thirty-one fire departments in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties hosted blood drives for the 2nd Annual Bucket Brigade, bringing in approximately 750 donors, 150 more than last year. Andrea Casson of Blood Bank of the Redwoods said the Bucket Brigade attracts more fire departments and donors each year. The competition motivates fire departments to recruit community members, colleagues, friends and family to donate lifesaving blood in an effort to win the Bucket Brigade Trophy and bragging rights for the year.
This year's winner, Geyserville Fire Protection District attracted a grand total of 77 donors beating last year's Rincon Valley Fire Protection Districts record of 54 donors. The next closest fire department was CAL Fire and Wilmar Fire Department with 51 donors. (See Top 10 list below)
Top 10 Fire Departments
1. Geyserville Fire Protection District - 77 Donors
2. CAL Fire and Wilmar Fire Department - 51 Donors (co-hosted)
3. Forestville Fire Dept. - 37 Donors
4. Petaluma Fire Fighters - 35 Donors
5. Ukiah Valley Fire Department - 33 Donors
6. TIE: Brooktrails Fire Department and Goldridge Fire Department - 30 Donors
7. Sebastopol Fire Department - 29 Donors
8. TIE: Middletown Fire Department and San Antonio Volunteer Fire Company and Sonoma Developmental Center Fire Department - 28 Donors
9. Covelo Fire Department - 26 Donors
10. Healdsburg Fire Department - 25 Donors
Geyserville Fire Chief Paul Pigoni attributes their successful turnout to strong community support and offering homemade chili and cornbread during the blood drive. "We have a chef from a local restaurant here and he had his own special firehouse brew," he said. Even Rincon Valley Fire Chief Doug Williams said his fire station is considering offering a meal next year after seeing Geyserville's success.
The notion of a Bucket Brigade originates from the Great London Fire of 1666, where lines of townspeople created "brigades" and passed buckets of water from the town's water source to the fires that threatened their community. This contemporary Bucket Brigade brings our community together in the same way, not to fight fire but to save lives through blood donation.
While there is a year-round need for blood, winter is a hard time of year for blood banks as the rain, holiday, vacation and flu season pose a challenge. The fire departments that participated in the 2nd Annual Bucket Brigade helped to extinguish these winter difficulties.
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Santa Rosa, CA (March 4, 2008) Santa Rosa, CA (March 4, 2008)