Michael Cape of Fruit Cove hit the 100-gallon blood donation mark when he donated platelets Friday at
OneBlood Jacksonville s Deerwood Park Donor Center. In doing so, he joined the ranks of fewer than 300 Floridians who have reached the milestone since blood banking began during World War II.
Cape has helped save or sustain many hundreds of lives and families, OneBlood officials said.
Cape, 57, started giving blood in college. After talking with a man who wore a watch touting his 10-gallon blood donation milestone, he set his own 10-gallon goal. He knew it would take a long time; whole blood can only be donated every eight weeks. He began donating platelets in 1997 when he learned you can donate as often as 24 times a year.
When Cowford Chophouse restaurant owners Jacques Klempf and wife Tracy first visited the Jacksonville Arts & Music School a few years ago, they were stunned by what they saw and heard.
Students were passionately engaged in after-school programming in performing and visual arts, music, dance, photography and film and robotics. And their instructors showed the same passion as they helped students hone their chosen crafts. We were overwhelmed by … the work they do to both support children in our community and promote arts education, Jacques Klempf said. We were so impressed with the level of talent and enthusiasm the kids had … whether that be dance, film making, drawing or any other form of artistic expression.