Oakland colleagues donate enough blood to help 141 people
December 16, 2025 •
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, UCOP staff in Oakland participated in a Red Cross Blood Drive in Oakland. Together, they donated 47 units of blood. Since each unit can help save up to three lives, these donations may provide crucial support for up to 141 people in need of surgery, cancer treatment or transfusions following traumatic injuries.
The blood drive was organized by UCOP retiree Jan Kehoe, who has long been passionate about the critical importance of blood donations. “Despite a number of last-minute cancellations due to illness — common for this time of year — we still had a fantastic turnout. Your generosity truly makes a difference!”
The history of blood drives at UCOP Oakland
- UCOP held its first Red Cross Blood Drive almost 25 years ago — on Nov. 13, 2000. Since then (with the exception of pandemic office closures), UCOP has proudly hosted five drives each year.
- About a dozen of UCOP’s frequent blood donation volunteers have been donating for more than a decade. Trish Dolan has been donating since our very first drive!
- Our most successful drive to date was the Oct. 1, 2009, event, during which we collected 56 units of blood. Since then, the goal has been to once again reach 50.
- The last blood donation event before the Oakland offices closed for the pandemic took place on Feb. 27, 2020. While offices were closed, many UCOP staff continued to support the Red Cross by donating at blood centers in their local communities.
- In the early days, the Red Cross bus parked in front of the EBMUD building, and donors crossed the street to give blood in a very limited space. Today, we host our drives in Lobby 1 of the Oakland Franklin building, a more spacious and welcoming location with room to grow.
Mark the calendar for our 2026 blood drives
Couldn’t make it last week? Two of our 2026 blood drives have already been scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, and Wednesday, April 29. Our goal is to collect 50 or more units, which means that we need more colleagues to join us. Give back and help us reach our goal!
It’s easy to participate. Email Jan Kehoe to express your interest and make an appointment on Sept. 30 that works with your schedule.
Tags: blood drive, Oakland
Huge shout out to all who continue to support the UCOP blood drive! In particular, Michelle Vanier, David Phillips, Carlos Arias, Eric Eberhart, Angela Cervantes, Gale Sheean-Remotto, and Ron Kalich!!