The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Recognizes Moody Gardens with 2020 Group of the Year Award

 Moody Gardens has been recognized with the 2020 Community Group of the Year Award by Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. The award was presented to Moody Gardens President and CEO John Zendt on Friday, October 15. Due to the pandemic, many Americans worked from home and corporate blood donations and public events were cancelled in 2020 resulting in a regional and national blood shortage. Moody Gardens was closed for approximately two months and reopened in May 2020. After reopening, Moody Gardens was fortunate enough to have a great community of blood donors behind them and a facility available with ample space to setup Blood Drive Events regularly and continue to donate during challenging times. Moody Gardens held 30 blood drives in 2020, donated 708 total units of blood and saved approximately 2,124 lives.

 

The Community Blood Drives have become a priority and a staple at Moody Gardens. Despite the challenging times the tourism industry and nearly all businesses have faced, there was a desire to aid in whatever way possible at Moody Gardens and blood drives were a vital need that the facility was able to provide. Staff, visitors and local residents showed up to support the Community Blood Drives on a regular basis for this important cause. Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is one of the largest community blood centers in the United States, serving 26 counties across the Texas Gulf Coast, Brazos Valley and East Texas. They serve more than 170 hospitals and health care institutions. Out of the total 26 counties, Moody Gardens was the top facility for blood donations in 2020. Since there is not a neighborhood donor center on Galveston Island, Moody Gardens is the prime location to donate. Moody Gardens management and staff look forward hosting Blood Drives regularly and giving back to the community.

 

“We kept asking for more blood drives and they kept setting up more dates with us. Moody Gardens President and CEO, John Zendt is a devoted donor and advocate of blood donation in the community,” stated Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Account Manager Laurie Hartrick.