Brainerd Woman Wins Community Service Award

Dee Severson of Brainerd was honored by the North Central Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross at their Annual Meeting last week at the Mall of America in Bloomington.

Severson was recognized with a Blood Sponsor Star Award for her outstanding work as a volunteer community blood drive coordinator. Severson has organized successful blood drives in the Brainerd Lakes area for approximately 20 years. Last year alone, she coordinated 22 blood drives and nearly 2,500 blood donations. Through her many years of service, Severson has helped recruit more than 27,000 blood donations.

Severson said. “I couldn’t do it without the donors.”
The North Central Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross supports 111 hospitals in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and southeastern South Dakota. Nationally, the Red Cross serves more than 3,000 hospitals and is responsible for collecting and distributing about half of the nation’s blood supply.