Rochesterians are being asked to commemorate the 130th birthday of Al Sigl by donating blood. The Al Sigl Community of Agencies and the American Red Cross of Greater Rochester are inviting local residents to attend a blood drive to honor the spirit of Sigl, a newspaperman and radio host who created a data base of blood donors in 1937.
"He did an on-air plea for donors after he had talked to a local father who was a laborer. His child had passed away simply because he didn't have $35 for a blood transfusion. So, Al found this incredibly moving. He went on the air and said 'we need to do something to prevent this loss of life,' " said Tom O'Connor, vice president of operations for the Al Sigl Community of Agencies.
O'Connor says, due to Sigl's leadership, Rochester was recognized as having the largest number of blood donors per capita in any U.S. city in 1941. The blood drive takes place on Monday, March 18 from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Al Sigl Elmwood Campus at 1000 Elmwood Avenue.
