George Foundation Saves Lives with The Blood Center

Dee Koch, Grant Officer for The George Foundation, with staff at the Sugar Land Neighborhood Donor Center. From left to right: Veronica Felan, Sugar Land Manager Norma Villarreal, Dee Koch and Amber Gonzales.

View more photos at The Blood Center's Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/commitforlife

June 28, 2010

With the help of The George Foundation, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center has raised $70,000 from individuals and organizations in Fort Bend County to benefit their Sugar Land and Katy Neighborhood Donor Centers.

The George Foundation, established in 1945 to benefit the citizens of Fort Bend County, awarded a $35,000 grant to The Blood Center, which raised $35,000 in matching funds from the community.

“The George Foundation has made a visible impact in Fort Bend and we are pleased to be a part of their efforts through this generous contribution to our life-saving mission,” said Kathleen Kuznicki, Director of Development for The Blood Center.

The funds will be applied toward the cost of blood collection supplies at The Blood Center’s locations in Sugar Land and Katy, both located in Fort Bend County.

“The success of the matching funds campaign shows how important The Blood Center’s Fort Bend locations are,” said Dee Koch, Grant Officer for The George Foundation. “As Fort Bend has grown, there is a need for convenient, central locations for blood donors to give back to the community.”

The Blood Center is the primary supplier of blood components to the hospitals in Fort Bend County. In 2009, these hospitals used more than 13,700 pints of blood to help cancer patients, burn victims and premature babies, among others.