Catholic educators take time to donate blood at convention

Published: 2008-03-28

INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- As she sat in the chair giving blood, Kathy Mears thought of her sister, Jean Burton. Mears remembered the many times that she and Jean's seven other siblings took turns giving pints of blood to try to help their sister in her battle against a blood-related cancer. "When she was ill, she needed blood," Mears recalled. "In a family of nine siblings, it wasn't bad to give blood." Unfortunately, Mears' sister died of the cancer five years ago. Still, in her honor, Mears made sure she gave blood March 26 during a blood drive at the National Catholic Educational Association convention March 25-28 in Indianapolis. "It's a personal thing. It's my way of giving back to the community," said Mears, an associate director of schools for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and a member of the convention's organizing committee. Many of the people who participated in the blood drive had their own personal stories and reasons for contributing to an effort that collected 104 pints of blood.

Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .