9th Annual Memorial Blood Drive a Success!

I am happy to share that the 9th annual memorial blood drive was a success! The goal for the drive was 25 units of blood. The drive attracted 31 presenting donors and 29 units of blood were collected. 7 people donated for the first time.

Many, many thanks to the amazing members of the Penn State CAS graduate forum and Wendi Keeler from the PSU Red Cross. This wouldn't be possible without them.

9th Annual Memorial Blood Drive: Thursday, January 27, 2011

Greetings! I am writing to let everyone know that the 9th annual Amanda L. Kundrat Memorial Blood Drive will be held this Thursday, January 27 in 7 Sparks Building from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Please help us make the 2011 Memorial Drive a success!

How can you participate?

1) Donate blood at the memorial drive:
We need to have a minimum number of presenting donors every year in able to sustain this annual drive. We have been fortunate in meeting our goals for eight consecutive years. Please help us do it again! This memorial blood drive is also considered a THON blood drive, which means the American Red Cross will donate four dollars to the Four Diamonds Fund for every presenting donor (credited to the THON-registered organization of the donor's choice). The canteen will be serving pizza to donors. To schedule an appointment to donate, visit www.psuredcross.org.

2) Donate blood at a local blood drive:
If you do not live in the State College area, you can still participate! Just donate blood at a local Red Cross blood drive and send me an email with your name and the location of your donation. I will pass this information along to the Penn State Red Cross and these numbers will be counted toward our goal!

3) Donate to the Amanda L. Kundrat Health Communication Thesis of the Year Award:
The purpose of this award is to encourage young scholars to pursue health communication research that contributes to the greater good. We are hopeful to raise enough funds to make this a sustainable award that will honor Amanda's memory for many years to come. You can read more about the award at http://www.icahdq.org/aboutica/awards/kundrat.asp. To make a donation, please visit: http://www.icahdq.org/sections/secdetinfo.asp?SecCode=DIV08

4) Donate to the American Heart Association:
In March of 2008, Judi Weiner ran her very first 15K in honor of Mandy’s memory, and over the past two races/years, raised over four thousand dollars for the American Heart Association! If you would like to make a donation electronically, please visit: http://cincinnati.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=421619&supid=202564034. If you would prefer to make a donation for some other dollar amount....e.g., .50 cents a mile ($4.55) or a $1.00 a mile ($9.32) and/or pay by check, you can make the check to: The American Heart Association and send it to Judi at: Judith L. Weiner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, 160B Bachelor Hall, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056. Please put "Judi Weiner" in the 'memo' section so your donation can be added to her "team pot."

Thank you for helping in whatever way you can.

Results of 2010 Blood Drive

The results of the Sparks blood drive are IN! Here are the numbers:

Goal : 30
Collected : 30
Presenting : 37
Deferrals : 6

The results of the long-distance drive will be coming in over the next few weeks, but I will try to post them as they become available (please post a note on the blog or drop me a note at janicekrieger@gmail.com). The list thus far...

Presenting donors:

John Caughlin - Champaign, IL (thank you for sending a photo!)
Janice Krieger - Columbus, OH
Kristie Chamberlain - Richmond, VA
Nancy Brodie-- Philadelphia, PA

Peace Plant- A post by Maggie Pitts

My heart was filled this week with love, peace, and remembrance of loss for my dear friend Amanda. After Amanda's funeral the family asked if anyone would like to take some of the plants that were given as gifts home with them. I selected a very small peace lily plant. I called it "Amanda Plant" and have always been very protective over the plant. I don't have much of a green thumb, but I felt it very important to nurture this particular plant. It has done well through various moves across the country, but never really thrived. It certainly never bloomed. The New Year has been a very happy one for my family. In September, Jake and I welcomed our son, Jude Quinn, into our lives. Since then I have felt a deep connection with things living and things past. I understand more the idea of "Mother's Love." I understand more the desire for peace, well-being, and genuine friendship. Still, this January came in a hurry and amidst all the sleepless nights and frantic preparations for my academic pursuits I haven't had time to sit and reflect on the deep connection I felt with Amanda. This is the first year I cannot give blood for the memorial blood drive. It is the first year that I wasn't acutely aware of what I was doing this month 7 years ago. I have been thinking of Amanda. In fact, having conversations with her about my son and what she would be doing right now if she was still on this plane with us. But these thoughts seem more scattered than before - as if it's hard to concentrate on one thing. What is remarkable is that this year even though I felt as though I wasn't connecting as much as before, I felt something reach out to me. The peace lily bloomed. It bloomed despite my not taking very good care of it since the arrival of my son. It bloomed despite all the sunless days that have marked this winter. It bloomed. It seemed to bloom to call my memories back and to experience again the love I felt for my friend, and for all things. This year a presence reached out to me to remind me that we are all one. All things connected. Thank you Amanda, for always teaching me, on Earth as it is in Heaven, that we are all one. We are all love.

Peace be with everyone,

Maggie

Judi Weiner to run Cincinatti Heart Mini Marathon in memory of Amanda

If you would like to make a donation, please go to: http://cincinnati.kintera.org/heartmini/AmandaKundrat

8th Annual Memorial Blood Drive

Dear friends,

Happy New Year! I am writing to let you know that the 8th annual Amanda Kundrat memorial blood drive will be Thursday, January 28th from 10am-4pm in 7 Sparks, Penn State Learning Center. If you live in Happy Valley, we hope you will consider supporting this annual effort to honor Amanda's memory.

If you are not in Happy Valley, please consider donating wherever you may be. If you do decide to donate or volunteer, please let us know with a note or a picture. We keep track of these numbers and factor "long-distance" donations into our yearly totals.

There has been a new and exciting development this year. The annual NCA/ICA Health Communication Master's thesis award is now the Amanda L. Kundrat Health Communication Thesis of the Year Award! Read all about it at: http://www.icahdq.org/aboutica/awards/kundrat.asp

Financial donations are still needed to ensure the long-term feasibility of offering this award. Individuals who wish to make a financial contribution to support this effort can do so through the Amanda L. Kundrat Memorial Fund. Donations can be sent to: Amanda Kundrat Memorial Fund c/o Graduate Forum, 234 Sparks Building, University Park, PA 16802. The check should be made out to "Graduate Forum" with "ALK memorial fund" in the memo section.

Wishing you all the best in 2010.

Janice & Maggie

Watch our progress... 2009!

Number of units collected/attempted to date: 8

Thank you to our DONORS:

MaryLou Raup, Danville PA
Matt Raup, Milton PA
Claire Kerhuel-Castel, Bridegeport CT
Maggie Pitts, Norfolk VA
Rachel McLaren, Iowa City, IA
Jay Hartey, Allentown PA
Danielle Orbash, Miami, OH
Judi Weiner, Miami, OH
Nicholas P. Barrett


Update on the Sparks Drive from Kurt Braddock

The blood drive went extremely well! We had 58 people show up, including 18 first time donors! We were hoping to get 40 units, but unfortunately, because of so many sick kids and low iron, we had to defer 13 donors. In all, we got 35 units for the Red Cross. Not quite the 40 we wanted, but very close. Thanks again for all the support!

From Norfolk VA...

Thanks Mags!

The 7th Annual Memorial Blood Drive Begins!

December 31, 2008

Dear friends,

Happy New Year! For the seventh consecutive year, the Communication Arts and Sciences Graduate Forum is sponsoring a blood drive to remember our dear friend and colleague, Amanda L. Kundrat. We are complementing this effort by sponsoring a second annual "long distance" blood drive that allows those of us outside of the State College area to show our support for this wonderful event.

The most amazing aspect of the long distance memorial blood drive is that many of those who participated never knew Amanda. If you didn't have the privilege of knowing Amanda personally, please allow us the opportunity to share a little more about her life and why this blood drive is so important.

Amanda Kundrat, our best friend, died on January 21st, 2003 as a result of a series of medical errors. Amanda completed a Bachelor's and Master’s degree in communication at Penn State, and was a Ph.D. student planning a dissertation on the topic of organ donation. She changed the lives of those who knew her and her research and gentle spirit far exceeded her own personal circle. In an effort to continue helping people in need, Graduate Forum has sponsored an annual Memorial Blood Drive with the American Red Cross each year since 2003.

If you are living in State College area, we would like to encourage you to participate in the seventh annual blood drive. It will be held on Friday, January 23rd, 2009 from 10am to 4pm in 7 Sparks Building (Lower Level) at The Penn State University. Please make your appointment at www.psuredcross.org. Click on the January 23, Sparks Building drive.

If you live outside of the State College area, we are asking you to donate blood or volunteer at a blood drive WHEREVER you are between now and January 25th in memory of Amanda. We would be honored if you would post a note/photo on this blog letting us know that you donated/volunteered in her memory, the location of your donation (city, state), and how you heard about our "long distance" blood drive. If you prefer, you can drop us a note and photo at janicekrieger AT gmail.com or pitts.maggie AT gmail.com Our goal is to be able to show Amanda's family how her influence has spread beyond State College.

We should also note that individuals who wish to make a financial contribution to this memorial effort may do so. The Amanda L. Kundrat Memorial Fund was established in 2003 and serves to support excellence in health communication research. Donations can be sent to: Amanda Kundrat Memorial Fund c/o Graduate Forum, 234 Sparks Building, University Park, PA 16802. The check should be made out to "Graduate Forum" with "ALK memorial fund" in the memo section.

In closing, if you knew Amanda, please share your memories and this website with others. And to those of you who didn’t know her, thank you for your help. If you are able to participate in any way (i.e., donating blood or volunteering), we would love to hear from you.

Yours in peace,

Janice Krieger
Maggie Pitts

Reflections on the 6th annual memorial blood drive

Yesterday (January 25, 2008) was the 6th annual memorial blood drive in Sparks building. BUT, the drive beyond PSU goes on! Please keep donating and sending me notes and photos (janicekrieger@gmail.com) as posting names to the list of donors makes me feel profoundly happy.

I found this year, as I have for the past 5 years, that absorbing myself in the business of a blood drive was a useful outlet for all the emotions the month of January brings. But, a few days ago, I found myself halted in my busy little tracks by a posting on another blog (the note from coach on a blog written by one of Mandy's childhood friends). Part of the comment said, "When you think of her and others you have lost, be incredibly grateful for the wisdom that their lives have imparted on you."

When I think about Mandy, I am always reminded that there is nothing more important in life than the love and care we show for one another. I am often accused of being unrealistically optimistic for believing that each of us can make a positive difference in this life. But Mandy did, and so did each and every person who participated in this blood drive. Thank you to EVERYONE who donated (or plan to) your time, energy, and resources to give the gift of life to others. These were truly acts of love.

And now for the numbers...

The long distance blood drive has really helped us take this effort national! Thus far, we have had 23 donations (or attempts) from 8 states and 1 district :-) We are still counting, so stay tuned...

The traditional blood drive held in Sparks Building yesterday was also extremely successful. They had 39 attempts, with 29 pints of blood collected. Most importantly, 12 of the donors were first-time donors! A heart-felt thank you to Hillary Jones, Mary Haman, and the rest of the Penn State Communication Arts & Sciences graduate students who put so much time, energy, and love into this event. Check back soon for photos...

Watch our progress....

Number of units collected/attempted to date: 23!

Thank you to our BLOOD DONORS:

Tracy Hunter, Danville PA*
Mary Lou Raup, Danville PA*
Carrie Kundrat, Memphis TN
Linnea Overman, Columbus, OH
Parul Jain, Columbus, OH
Danielle Orbash, Miami, OH
Brandi Roland, Washington DC
Craig Sharman, Washington DC
Michael Melia, Boston MA
Maggie Pitts, Norfolk VA
Doris Parke, Norfolk VA
Walid Afifi, Santa Barbara CA
Jill Adams Mastromatteo, Abingdon, MD
Angela Fernandez-Plonczyk, Philadelphia PA*
Mark Parrella, Memphis TN
Diana Baker, Montandon PA
Deana Casale, San Diego, CA
John Caughlin, Champaign, IL
Jay Hartey, Allentown, PA
Todd McCormack, Allentown, PA
Mai Nguyen, Allentown, PA
Tim Lambert, Allentown, PA
Janice Myers, Allentown, PA

* First-time blood donor

Thank you to those who VOLUNTEERED/ GAVE DONATIONS in Amanda's memory:

Parul Jain, Columbus, OH
Janice Krieger, Columbus, OH
Maggie Pitts, Norfolk, VA
Jennifer Aber Korbly, Acton, MA
Margaret Barrett, Milford, MA
Nick Barrett, Watertown, MA
Kristie Kalvin, University Park, PA
Joanne Kundrat, Philadelphia, PA
Kyoko Matsumura, University Park, PA
Mike and Wendy Matthews, Arlington, VA
Maureen Minielli, Staten Island, NY
Susan and Scott Nichols, State College, PA
Lisa G. Perks, Austin, TX
Julie Volkman, University Park, PA
Jim Yupcavage, Hanover, NH
Kerstin Humphrys and family, Dublin OH

We also appreciate the support of the following businesses in State College and Bellefonte: Dunkin Donuts, Giant Food Stores, Sheetz, Wal-Mart, and Weis Market.

Red Cross meets the Redhawks

Danielle Orbash, a graduate student at Miami University working with our very own Dr. Judi Weiner, donated blood as part of the memorial drive on January 18, 2008. Thank you Danielle! And thanks for spreading the word, Jude :)

Children's Hospital Boston Blood Donor

I wanted to let you know that I just donated a pint of blood at the Children's Hospital in Boston, MA in honor of Amanda. Amanda's brother-in-law Mark is a good friend of mine; he let me know about the blood drive via email earlier this month. Although I only had the pleasure of meeting Amanda once, she immediately struck me as a wonderful and kind person. Thank you for inviting me to participate in this year's blood drive, and please include me on future mailings to I might continue to participate in the future. Best, Michael Melia

Blood drive visits Santa Barbara

I gave blood today in Amanda's memory...it was fantastic...but a trip, as always. So, I show up and I see this bus...then the assistant who I asked to take pics was apparently trying to flirt with me and sorta went nutty with the camera. :) Then the person taking the blood (see the gal in the pic - she was adamant not to be in the picture) started trading stories about the camera...then was amazed at my veins and, again, as they all do when I give blood told me that I'm a "great bleeder"...fantastic. The good news is it only took 4 minutes to fill up a unit of blood... :) Just another day in wacky California ! :) --Walid Afifi (one of Amanda's professors at Penn State during her graduate program).

Donating blood in the Old Dominion

Doris (the head administrative assistant in the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts) and I (Assistant Prof in the same department) were very happy to head to the Red Cross in downtown Norfolk to donate blood in honor of Amanda. We felt like school children going to recess as we packed up our purses and said "later" to all the office staff and other faculty members - skipping out on work on a Friday for a good cause -- smiling broadly! We donated very quickly - both of us had solid iron counts and "good veins!" Then, we took our time at the recovery table where we helped ourselves to juice, pretzels, cookies, and water -- oddly, there was no one staffing the recovery area! It made me miss donating at Penn State where the canteen was the best part!

The Red Cross staff was captivated by Amanda's story and our efforts to make this a national memorial blood drive. I am touched to see how many people donated blood (especially first-time donors) and volunteered time in this effort. This is the first year that we tried to coordinate a national memorial blood drive and I am convinced that as the years proceed we will have Amanda Kundrat memorial blood drives popping up at universities and other settings all over the nation. This isn't a one time deal! Let's do it every year and each year bring an additional friend!

I know others from Old Dominion University are also going to donate blood in honor of Amanda in the next month and will keep you posted!

Love and Health, Maggie

Philadelphia, PA @ City Fitness Gym

I was really excited to donate blood, for the first time, in memory of Amanda Kundrat. Unfortunately, my veins are "too thin...paper thin"; Of all things on me having to be too skinny, why is it just my veins?!?!?!?! Anyway, I will continue to tell my friends and family to get out there and donate for Amanda.
Thanks,
Angela Fernandez-Plonczyk

Another donation from Memphis, TN

I just came home from donating. Carrie snapped this photo as Knox was greeting me. I'm happy that I could be a part of this great national effort in Mandy's (my sister-in-law and good friend) name.

Here's to you Mandy.

Lots of love, Mark

Judi to run her first mini-marathon in memory of Amanda

On March 30, 2008, Judi Weiner is running her first official 15K as part of the Heart Mini-Marathon in Cincinnati. She is dedicating her run to Amanda L. Kundrat. Follow This Link to visit Judi's personal web page to learn more.

A special tribute from a childhood friend

A close childhood/family friend of Carrie and Mandy (Erin Strout, Washington, DC) has paid a special tribute to Amanda on her personal blog, as she really wants to donate blood but can't. She found this to be her way of sharing about her friend and encouraging involvement in the Drive. Click here to visit her blog.

5th Annual Memorial Blood Drive

Dear Friends:

On January 25, 2008, the Penn State Graduate Forum will host the 5th annual blood drive held in loving memory of our friend and colleague, Amanda L. Kundrat. For those of you who are in State College, we would like to encourage you to participate in this true Penn State tradition! For those of you who have left Happy Valley in the past five years, this blog is especially for you.

The purpose of this site is to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the blood drive by encouraging everyone who knew and loved Amanda (or know someone who did) to participate in this blood drive. Specifically, we are asking you to donate blood WHEREVER you are between now and January 25th in memory of Amanda. We would be honored if you would post a note/photo on this blog letting us know that you donated/volunteered in her memory, the location of your donation (city, state), and how you heard about our "long distance" blood drive. Our goal is to be able to show Amanda's family how her influence has spread beyond State College.

If you can’t donate blood, there are other ways to help! If you will be in the State College area, please contact Hillary Jones (hillaryannjones@gmail.com) to see how you can volunteer the day of the drive. If you will not be in State College, feel encouraged to volunteer in Amanda's memory at a drive in your local area (http://www.redcross.org/). Also, financial donations are welcome for helping in the canteen area. If you would like to help in this way, checks can be sent to: Graduate Forum (attention Mary Haman), 234 Sparks Building, University Park, PA 16802.

The most amazing aspect of this memorial blood drive is that many of those who participate never knew Amanda. If you didn't have the privilege of knowing Amanda personally, please allow us the opportunity to share a little more about her life and why this blood drive is so important. Amanda Kundrat, our best friend, died on January 21st, 2003 as a result of a series of medical errors. Amanda completed an undergrad and Master’s degree in communication at Penn State, and was a Ph.D. student planning a dissertation on the topic of organ donation. She changed the lives of those who knew her and her research and gentle spirit far exceeded her own personal circle. In an effort to continue helping people in need, Graduate Forum has sponsored an annual Memorial Blood Drive with the American Red Cross each year since 2003.

In closing, if you knew Amanda, please share your memories and this website with others. And to those of you who didn’t know her, thank you for your help. If you are able to participate in any way (i.e., donating blood or volunteering), we would love to hear from you.

All the best,

Janice Krieger
Maggie Pitts

How to donate at the Sparks Blood Drive

Someone asked me how they could sign up to donate blood at the original blood drive site in Sparks Building, and I thought this information might be of interest to others. If you are in the State College/Penn State area, you can make your appointment to donate at www.psuredcross.org. Click on the January 25, Sparks Building drive. You will be redirected to the e-Donor scheduling system. If this is your first visit to e-Donor, you will need to take a second to create a short profile. This is a completely secure site. You will receive an immediate confirmation sent to your e-mail and a reminder the day before the drive. If you are not in State College, you can find a blood drive near you at http://www.redcross.org/ Thanks!