Last October, the Raymond Seventh-day Adventist Church began a relationship with Versiti (formerly BloodCenter of Wisconsin) and hosted its first blood drive at their Friends and Family Community Center (FFCC). Over 40 attended and gave blood–which means 120 people can directly benefit from the event. “Wisconsin is a state in particular need of blood donors,” said Pastor Zachary Payne, “and so we were excited to be able to help give to that cause.”
This April 28 the Raymond Church will host their second blood drive, this time turning it into more of a community event–a “Spring Kickoff.” There will be a brunch buffet, a kids corner with face painting, indoor lawn games, and various giveaways for participants and volunteers.
This is all part of an effort on the part of the Raymond Church to increase community visibility. Aside from the blood drive, the church has used the FFCC to host a number of events in the past year: Nick Zork live in concert, a musical Christmas program, a Valentine’s Day banquet, and most recently a Women’s Brunch with special guest Latoya Wright. The church hopes these events will act as positive PR and help build awareness and excitement for an upcoming public evangelistic effort in May. Regarding the planning process, event coordinator Chrystelle Sachse says “You work hard…and then seeing, experiencing, and enjoying all the fruits it bears—it’s quite awesome.”
Zachary Payne, Raymond District Pastor