Montecito Boy Scout organized blood drive with help from Station 91

MONTECITO, Calif. - If you walked the halls at Fire Station 91 on San Ysidro Rd. Friday afternoon, you'd be impressed by a mobile Vitalant team and its military-like precision.

"We're always somewhere almost every single day," said Jason McClelland, Phlebotomist. "High schools, colleges, churches, businesses. We'll go basically anywhere that has the room for us to set up and we'll go."

The fire house hosted Friday's Vitalant blood drive, organized by Salvador Hernandez Perez, a member of Montecito Boy Scout Troop 33, who is working towards the highest rank of Eagle Scout.

"Proud of people that have been able to help me no matter who they are and no matter what kind of background they come from," said Perez.

The Santa Barbara High School senior told News Channel 3-12 that inspiration for the project came from his mother who is living with cancer. He also credits those who've donated platelets for her chemo treatments.

"It is just one way that I'm able to give back to the community, something that the community was out to help out when somebody else needed it and, now we're able to do it again."

Tammy Buxbaum, a registered nurse at Vitalant, said currently there is a critical shortage in the local blood supply.

"More people are out enjoying the good weather which ultimately results in, unfortunately, maybe more car crashes or a need for blood," Buxbaum said. "And then when you combine it with the Omicron variant, people are a little more hesitant to come in and donate blood. Those two things create that blood shortage."

Local residents turned out and rolled up their sleeves for the four hour event.

"Since COVID-19 we haven't been able to host very many events here at the station," said Christina Favuzzi, Public Information Officer. "But we are so grateful that we are able to have Vitalant here today. This is a great way for us to give back to the community and take care of everyone by collecting these blood donations here today."

If you missed Friday's blood drive, Perez organized three more:

Eagle Scout Project Blood Drives:

• Feb. 14, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
  • Santa Barbara High School
• Feb. 18, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. 
  • Station 1, Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District
• Feb. 24, 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. 
  • Church of Latter Day Saints, Carpinteria