The East Hampton Lions Club celebrated a lifesaving milestone on Jan. 22, when it collected its 8,000th pint of blood since it began sponsoring blood drives here 20 years ago.
Kevin Lubbe, a teacher at the East Hampton Middle School, rolled up his sleeve to donate the 8,000th pint at a blood drive at the American Legion Post 419 in Amagansett, earning a gift basket from the New York Blood Center for his generosity.
Thanks to donors like Mr. Lubbe, the blood drive, now held four times a year, has consistently met or exceeded the collection goals set by the Blood Center. Its success is also owing to hard work by members of the East Hampton Lions Club, which is now in its 75th year.
For the past five years, Heather Caputo-Fabiszak and Dennis Fabiszak have co-chaired the drive, organizing volunteers, logistics, the food, and signs, and before that, in the 2010s, Robert Schaeffer organized the drive, with Donna Orr overseeing food and Mike Helm getting the word out via signs around town. In addition, club members volunteer as escorts, walking donors from their donation beds to fully stocked food tables for a bite, and businesses and individuals, including One Stop Market, Brent's, and Luigi's, help to stock those tables with sandwiches, snacks, and drinks.
