Events

OLW’s Emily Holum Blood Drive Featured in Chicago Catholic

Our Lady of the Wayside’s annual Emily Holum Blood Drive received a very nice mention in the Chicago Catholic recently.  The article, “Parishes respond to blood shortages with donation drives,” featured OLW parishioners Tom and Robin Holum, who lost their middle daughter Emily, at the tender age of 7, to complications from treating her aggressive form of Leukemia.

The Holum family has sponsored the annual blood drive at Our Lady of the Wayside since 2007.  Through the years, this blood drive has successfully collected more than 1,200 units of much-needed blood, according to Tom Holum.

OLW’s Coordinator of Pastoral Healthcare , Kathy O’Neill, was also quoted in the article.  She added that in 2020, just before the pandemic hit, we collected 119 units of blood.  In 2021 — despite concerns about the pandemic negatively impacting the drive’s success — we collected 106 units.

To read the complete article, click here.

Please roll up your sleeve and join us this Sunday, February 13, between 7:30 am and 1:00 pm, for this year’s annual Emily Holum Blood Drive.