Proudly supported by The Denver Post.

www.bonfils.org

MISSIONIn partnership with our community, Bonfils Blood Center saves and enhances lives.

VISIONAs a premier, community-focused blood center, we advance healthcare to a higher level of excellence.

MC-1249

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE COLORADO COMMUNITY

March 28, 2010

To the Colorado Community:

Established in 2003 as a time dedicated to raise awareness about the critical need for blood, marrow, organ and tissue donation,

National Donate Life Month begins April 1. It is also the perfect time to celebrate the generosity of those who have made the

commitment to support Bonfils Blood Center’s life-saving mission over the last year.

Thanks to your partnership, Bonfils met the needs of our nearly 200 hospital partners by collecting nearly 165,000 blood

donations in 2009. These donations were given at our seven community donor centers and at the 3,000 blood drives hosted by

more than 1,100 businesses, civic groups and faith-based organizations.

More recently, as a testament of our giving community, Bonfils joined the growing list of community blood centers to aid in the

Haiti relief efforts. On March 15, 2010 a package of 25 units of blood was shipped to a partner blood center in Florida where it was

repackaged with donations from other blood centers across the nation and sent to the areas where victims are currently being treated.

Bonfils stands at the ready to provide additional support to this ongoing recovery effort.

In order to be prepared for the needs of patients in our state and beyond, we are dedicated to maintaining steadfast relationships with

our existing blood donors and cultivating partnerships with new donor groups. Illustrating the constant need for community support,

Governor Ritter signed legislation last March lowering Colorado’s blood donor eligibility age from 17 to 16 with parental consent.

More than 1,000 16-year-olds donated their first pint of blood with Bonfils since the blood center began collecting blood from

the donor group in September 2009. While many just began their blood donation habit, five lifelong donors reached the 50-gallon

donation milestone in 2009. The collective donations of these high-gallon donors helped save and enhance the lives of as many as

6,000 patients throughout their donation careers.

Yet it takes more than blood to save a life. Bonfils also administers the Colorado Marrow Donor Program (CMDP) which exists to

recruit new potential marrow/stem cell donors to the national registry and to facilitate marrow/stem cell matches from local donors

to treat patients suffering from blood-related diseases like leukemia and lymphoma. Since its creation in 1989 CMDP has successfully

added more than 75,000 potential marrow donors to the Be The Match Registry® and facilitated nearly 450 marrow, stem cell and

cord blood transplants.

The total cost to add a new member to the Be The Match Registry® is about $100. Financial contributions are needed to offset

the costs associated with adding new members. Bonfils’ fundraising arm, Bonfils Blood Center Foundation hosts several events each

year to raise awareness and funds to support CMDP’s efforts as well as the other funding priorities such as research, blood supply

and patient safety and community and donor outreach.

Bonfils prides itself on creating positive experiences for community members who generously support us, maintaining the highest

quality standards to optimize patient care and advancing Colorado’s healthcare system by anticipating and expertly responding to

our healthcare partners’ transfusion medicine needs. Our shared successes would not be possible without our blood and marrow

donor, financial contributor, hospital partner and volunteer advocates who enable us to impart hope, health and the gift of life

upon our community.

Sincerely,

Thomas C. Puckett

President and CEO

4B» DENVER & THE WEST sunday, march 28, 2010 B the denver post B denverpost.com 6