Westerly, Rhode Island... Washington Trust, the nation's oldest community bank, has again been recognized by the Rhode Island Blood Center as among the area's most prolific blood collection sponsors.
For the fifth year in a row, Washington Trust has been presented a Seasons' Pass framed print by the Blood Center, given to sponsors of four or more blood drives a year. Unframed prints are presented to four-time or more a year blood donors.
"The Washington Trust blood program has grown significantly over the years," said Frank Prosnitz, Rhode Island Blood Center's Communications Manager. "In 2006-2007, the first year the bank qualified for the framed print, Washington Trust held four blood drives. Now, the bank hosts 23 blood drives a year."
Besides drives at its corporate headquarters in Westerly, Washington Trust holds blood drives at many of its 18 branches, located throughout Rhode Island and in nearby Connecticut.
While the number of blood drives the bank holds each year has increased, so have collections. In 2006-2007, the bank held four drives and collected 28 pints; in 2007-2008, the bank held five drives and collected 50 pints; in 2008-2009, the bank held 10 drives and collected 95 pints; in 2009-2010, the bank held 14 drives and collected 120 pints; and in 2010-2011, the bank held 23 drives and collected 165 pints.
The Seasons' Pass year runs from the last day of February to the first day of March each year.
Over the four years, the bank has collected 458 pints of blood. Since each pint collected has the potential to save three lives (three products are taken from each pint of whole blood, red cells, platelets, and plasma), donors at Washington Trust drives have potentially saved nearly 1,400 lives.
"That'squite an investment in the community," said Jen Siegal, the Rhode Island Blood Center's Account Manager for the South County territory.
The Blood Center's Seasons' Pass program is in its ninth year, and was developed to encourage individuals to donate four or more times a year, once each season. The Blood Center works with a prominent local artist or photographer, who creates an original piece, prints of which are only distributed to four-time a year donors or sponsors.
The print that Washington Trust received is a beautiful photograph of Point Judith by one of Rhode Island's most renowned photographers, Ruth Clegg. Since the program's inception, the number of four-time a year donors has more than doubled.
The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $3.1 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services through its offices located in Rhode Island, Southeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Corporation's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Global Select® Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.