SusanLeugers shows door prize drawings for a “Chelsea Football Club” hat and water bottle.
Photo courtesy Solvita
BOTKINS – More than a decade after the death of young Chelsea Lukey, the blood drive in her memory is still rallying Botkins donors early in the New Year when the need is great, and inspiring new donors.
The blood drive is a New Year’s tradition in Botkins. Susan Leugers held the first in the summer of 2016 as a tribute to her daughter Chelsea Lukey who she lost to pancreatic cancer in 2010 at age 22. Leugers held the second blood drive just six months later, after New Year’s, to help restore the holiday blood supply.
The ninth annual Chelsea Lukey Memorial Blood Drive Jan. 2 at The Palazzo totaled 93 donors, including six platelet donors. It was the largest turnout since 2021 when 107 donors supported the pandemic blood drive that included COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma collections.
“I’d like to have as many people as Fort Loramie,” said Leugers, referring to the St. Michael’s Hall blood drive in December that registered 209 donors. “That’s impressive.”
Both blood drives are especially important to Solvita Blood Center because of the critical shortage of all blood types during the holiday period. Leugers is a dedicated advocate for blood donations year round. She made her 163rd lifetime donation at Tuesday’s blood drive alongside her grandson Kameron, a senior at Houston High School, who made his second lifetime donation.
At the 2018 blood drive Leugers was inducted into the National Donation Hall of Fame and later that year gave testimony in Columbus for the bill designating January as Ohio Blood Donor Awareness Month.
Leugers raises money for the Shelby County Relay for Life team in Chelsea’s memory and receives a grant from the non-profit Thrivent Action Team to fund hot sandwiches and holiday cookies at the blood drive. This year Jeff Wical from Thrivent came from Greenville to make his first lifetime donation.
“It’s a good cause,” said Wical. “She’s asked me every year and I said no, but this year I decided to try.”
Leugers also recruited her Botkins High classmates Chris Heuker, Lisa Renner, and David Oakley to donate. “I’ve known her since I was 12,” said Hueker.
“I think it means a lot to Susie to give back this way,” said Oakley.
Jody Short graduated from Botkins with Lukey in 2006 and seldom misses a chance to donate in her friend’s memory.
“She was one of the most caring people I knew,” said Short. “She would help anyone out. So kind and caring. This is a great way to remember her.”
Leugers added door prize drawings for a “Chelsea Football Club” hat and water bottle. It’s one of England’s favorite soccer teams, and it has a name she loves.
“I think it’s great that people come out here and sacrifice what they could be doing and show their love for ‘Chels,’” said Leugers. “It’s the season of giving.”
Schedule an appointment to donate with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling 937-461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.
