RESOLUTION NO. 030162

Honoring the first anniversary of the Dr. Charles Drew Donor Campaign and recognizing Black History Month by declaring February 14, 2003, as Charles Drew Blood Donor Campaign Day.

WHEREAS, Dr. Charles Drew, an African American physician, researched and discovered the process of preserving blood products for use in surgery. In 1941, he was appointed the first director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank; and

WHEREAS, the work of Dr. Drew still plays an important role in medicine, especially treatments which require the use of blood products such as Sickle Cell Disease; and

WHEREAS, Sickle Cell Disease is an incurable disease of the red blood cells that affects African Americans at a higher rate than people of other races. Children with the disease may have strokes resulting in the need for chronic blood transfusions; and

WHEREAS, in February 2002, the Kansas City area held its first Charles Drew Donor Campaign to assist children in need of chronic blood transfusions to locate donor matches of like ethnicities to lessen medical complications from this treatment; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

That the Mayor and Council hereby honor the first anniversary of the Dr. Charles Drew Donor Campaign and recognize Black History Month by declaring February 14, 2003, as Charles Drew Blood Donor Campaign Day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that copies hereof be presented to Ursula Copeland, Jim Collier, Maxine Brown-Lockhart, Noah Kirkwood, Ruby Russell, Wesley K. Smith, Charles Swinton, Gerald Woods, John Hightower, Julie Routhieaux, Dana Webb-Randall and the American Red Cross with the appreciation of the Mayor, Council and citizens of Kansas City for the tremendous contribution they make to the health of the Kansas City community.

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