Thanks to blood donors and local historian Mike Zahs

Posted 1/18/22

There was a tremendous turnout of blood donors at the Kalona Optimist Club annual winter Blood Drive at the Kalona Mennonite Church.

Donor Day Chair Donna Merck for the Kalona Optimists reports …

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Thanks to blood donors and local historian Mike Zahs

Posted

There was a tremendous turnout of blood donors at the Kalona Optimist Club annual winter Blood Drive at the Kalona Mennonite Church.

Donor Day Chair Donna Merck for the Kalona Optimists reports that 63 people donated blood including three double red donations.   There were only four deferrals and five first time donors.

Chris Ciasto of ImpactLife Blood Center, who conducted the blood drive, reported that the 63 units have the ability to improve the lives of up to 189 patients and their families in Washington County and surrounding community.

As vice president of the Kalona Optimist Club, I would like to thank everyone, on behalf of the Optimists Club, for all those who donated especially to the Amish community, who ventured out on a cold winter day to donate blood to help so many others.  A special congratulations to the five who rolled up their sleeves to donate for the first time. 

The Optimists will have another blood drive in July, and we encourage all who donate to do so again. And this will be another opportunity for those who have donated before to take an hour of your time to help others live. In addition, you get a mini physical with your blood pressure and temperature taken.

RCS

This past year the Kalona Historical Village Quilt & Textile Museum has been privileged to have Mike Zahs have his feed sack quilt collection on display along with some of his other unique antiques to properly display the quilts.

Along with the quilts and antiques being on display, Zahs has given numerous lectures on the history of the quilts.

That special display will come to an end in February.

There still are three chances to hear one of Zahs’s lectures, as three will be given in January including one being promoted by the Washington Library.

There will be a lecture at l p.m. on Jan. 22 and another at 10:30 a.m. on January 27. The Washington Library will be sponsoring a van to bring those interested to see the “History in a Cloth Bag“ at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28 as part of the library’s Fiber Art project.

Washington residents can register at the library to ride the van or they can travel by private car to the Kalona Historical Museum.

The Kalona Historical Village has been blessed to have the Zahs “History in a Cloth Bag” collection, but now it is  time to have a new display for the Village’s own collection. Zahs also shared some 200 of his collection of 2,400 Nativity Scenes from around the world.

Zahs will be donating part of his display to the Kalona Historical Society, but most will be put back in storage at the Zahs’s home.

Thanks for sharing, Mike.