Businessman gives and receives

Just one pint away from being a 5-gallon blood donor, Clark Wold never imagined that he’d be on the receiving end of a blood transfusion last February. During an unexpected heart by-pass surgery, Clark received a total of 80 units of blood, including 35 units of plasma. “Before my surgery I was healthy, even racing with one of our employees to beat him to the 5-gallon blood donor milestone. The next thing you know, I am receiving blood myself,” says Clark, the CEO of a Midwestern corporation. Even though Clark lost the race for the 5-gallon pin, he won big-time, as donated blood saved his life.

Clark’s company has sponsored blood drives for many years, but this year the drive took on new meaning, as employees knew first-hand someone who needed blood. “You just never know when it can happen to you,” says Clark, who once treated employees who donated to ice cream after the drive. Clark has totally recovered from his surgery, resumed an active lifestyle and is counting the days until he can donate blood again. “To 5 gallons and beyond!”