Wes Bolstad Memorial Blood Drive Gives the Gift of Life

What began as a daughter’s way to cope with the loss of her father has grown into a tradition that gives hope to others. The annual Wes Bolstad Memorial Blood Drive conducted by LifeServe Blood Center was held in Milbank on July 2. The drive was coordinated by Wes’s daughter, Jen Stroschein. Jen’s mother Dori Kuper, her stepfather Jody Kuper, and her daughter Brynlee Green also helped to honor Wes’s memory. The drive welcomed 35 donors and collected 39 units of blood. LifeServe estimates it will impact up to 117 lives throughout their service area.

The drive also welcomed six first-time LifeServe blood donors: Ashley Hanson, Marilyn Nef, Steven Nomeland, Julie Schwandt, Teresa Stoddard, and Luke Weber.

Two generous donors were recognized for their milestone donations.
14 Galloneer: Rodney VanSambeek
1 Galloneer: Noel Cummins

Stroschein said the blood drive began during one of the most difficult seasons of her life.”Near the end of my dad’s battle with cancer, I felt helpless knowing there was nothing we could do to change the outcome. Wanting to make a difference for someone else, I found a blood drive and donated. It gave me a way to help, even when I couldn’t help him.”

After Wes passed away, his birthday became a painful reminder of the family’s loss. Rather than allowing the day to be defined by grief, Stroschein chose to create something meaningful.

“Each donation made in his name is a reminder that even in loss, we can create something meaningful and make a lasting impact on others.”

For Abbie Arneson, territory representative for LifeServe Blood Center, the drive represents everything community blood donation is about. “Jen has found one of the most beautiful ways imaginable to honor her father’s memory,” Arneson said. “Wes was a loyal blood donor during his lifetime, and today his legacy continues through his family and an entire community that comes together each year to give in his honor. I never had the privilege of meeting Wes, but I have no doubt he would be incredibly proud of what his family has created.”

Arneson also pointed out that the drive’s greatest success cannot be measured by the number of units collected. “Six first-time donors at this year’s drive is incredibly exciting because it means Wes’s legacy continues to grow.”

Milbank’s last two blood drives of the summer are coming up in August:

• Nycole and Jenna Korstjens Scholarship Blood Drive: Monday, August 3, from Noon to 5:30 p.m. at Milbank High School.
• Milbank Community Blood Drive: Tuesday, August 11, from Noon to 5:30 p.m. at the Grant County 4-H Building.

Appointments can be scheduled by visiting www.lifeservebloodcenter.org or calling 800.287.4903. LifeServe Blood Center is the largest blood supplier in South Dakota, providing lifesaving blood products to Milbank Area Hospital Avera and more than 175 hospitals throughout South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois.