RED CROSS HONORS DONOR FOR 26TH GALLON OF BLOOD

Charlie Ernst's blood type your common, every-day A positive isn't anything special. His blood itself is another matter.

Over the years Ernst, who turns 69 years of age July 10, has donated pints upon pints of blood to the American Red Cross. In turn, those pints have grown into gallons upon gallons.

This Wednesday at 2 p.m., Ernst plans to top off his 26th gallon of donated blood with still another pint. David Palmer, account representative for the American Red Cross' Missouri/Illinois Blood Services, said he knows of no one outside of Ernst who has donated more blood in a 17-county region.

"It's really mind-boggling the number of people he's helped in his lifetime by donating blood," said Palmer. "There's no telling how many lives he's saved throughout the years."

Ernst, a native of the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, will make his donation Wednesday at the American Red Cross blood drive at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau. Following that, Palmer said, Ernst will be presented with a blood-donation pin recognizing his achievement.

Interviewed Sunday at his rural home north of Cape Girardeau, Ernst a retired part-time optometrist at Horner Rausch in Cape Girardeau said he began donating blood at 17 years of age. His father was going to give blood, he said, and suggested he come along to see if he could also donate.

Since then, he said, he's donated blood while serving as a seaman in the Navy, and while residing in Houston and Sedalia, in addition to Cape Girardeau. The blood has not only gone to the local American Red Cross chapter, but also to chapters in St. Louis, Springfield, and Kansas City.

"So I've given blood to every corner of the state," Ernst said in an interview on his home's front porch, overlooking the Mississippi River.

"That's the way I lose weight," he said, laughing. "I kid the gals (who draw the blood) of my spring and summer bleeding."

Ernst said he gives blood about four times a year. Wednesday's donation will be his third this year. Overall, he's donated 208 times.

"You just get in the habit of going, and there's nothing to it," he said.

When he donates, Ernst said, he either goes to Cape Girardeau or Jackson. He goes to Jackson every once in a while, he said, because he loves the soup the donors get afterward. The soup is chicken, with bits of pork and beef.

"The two towns, they compete quite a bit," he said, "but the difference is the soup."

The pin recognizing Ernst's donation of 26 gallons of blood had to be specially ordered, Palmer said. The pins have to be specially ordered when the donation level exceeds 22 gallons.

"Anybody who gets up that high in the donations is committed to our program and is a very special person to us. When people donate that much blood, you really wish you can give them more of a pin," Palmer said.

"Maybe (Ernst) will stick with us and go 27 (gallons). I don't know what his plans are."

Ernst said he will work toward giving his 27th gallon of blood. "But that's not the reason I do it," he added. "The reason I do it is frankly it helps people."

Ernst said he would encourage others to give blood. He emphasized that donating doesn't hurt.

Palmer said there are only a few people in Cape Girardeau and Jackson who have donated more than 20 gallons of blood to the Red Cross. Today, he said, a Kennett minister will reach the 24-gallon milestone.

Palmer encouraged people to attend Wednesday's blood drive at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. The blood supply is still low and all types are needed, he said. The drive will be held from 2-7 p.m.