The Friday Finish - Legend. Dairy. Blood Drive - Spud Seeds - Ralph & the next generation - Volunteer Commitment, Physical & Spiritual - First Ever Color Guard
- Tim Crawford
- Mar 29
- 4 min read
March 28, 2025
60 Saved by “Legend. Dairy.” Blood Drive
It’s not the first blood drive hosted at Red Bird Christian School, but Tuesday’s event was one of the most successful. The “milk box photo” for the Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) spring theme of “Legend. Dairy.” was a Holstein cow, and the people in the Red Bird area responded in legendary fashion.
Twenty (20) units of blood were given by Red Bird Christian School students, Red Bird Mission staff, community members and DeWall Senior Center participants. The amazing response was that with just an hour left, the appeal went out asking for 2 more donors to reach the goal of 14 but an additional 8 people stepped up to “knock it out of the park!”
Debbie Morrow, KBC Donor Recruitment Specialist, said,
“Kentucky Blood Center would love to thank everyone that participated at this drive. It was our best drive there since 2011, with 20 units of blood being collected. Thank you to Colleen Sturgill and Tracy Nolan for all their hard work to make this such a successful drive. We look forward to the 2025/2026 school year blood drives! The Red Bird School earned money for the grant/scholarship program from Kentucky Blood Center for the great turnout and number of units collected.”
Spud Seeds for Spring Planting
Paul Givens and friends from St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee returned this week twice. He dropped 4,600 pounds of seed potatoes donated by the Society of St. Andrew on Monday. These potatoes were available on Tuesday for the 206 people qualified to receive Senior Commodities as well as anybody in the community planting a garden this year. He was back on Thursday delivering 144 food boxes needed in our food pantry for hunger relief in the communities Red Bird Mission serves. A big shout out to everyone in middle Tennessee doing their part for hunger relief at Red Bird, and to Paul and his traveling buddies that logged in two days of driving this week!
Ralph Returns - The Next Generation
Three weeks ago, we told you about Ralph Aller’s compassion and commitment to alleviating hunger and food insecurity here at Red Bird Mission. His arrival again on Tuesday with 12 pallets of food is testimony to his unwavering commitment and letting others know about Red Bird Mission. The donation included approximately 200 pounds of meat that will provide needed proteins for families living with food insecurity. Ralph brought his son, Kurt, this week to involve another generation in his family.
Last year, Red Bird Mission Community Outreach provided 94,695 meals through food pantries, congregate meals served and meals delivered to the elderly. This total would be impossible without the in kind donations of food and monetary donations by individuals and interested faith organizations.
Volunteer Commitment – Physical and Spiritual
You’ll see him moving quickly around Community Outreach towards the end of every month, but Ken Smith of Gallatin, Tennessee made a commitment last year to volunteer rarely missing a month. He first heard about Red Bird Mission when Richard and Deb White asked one Sunday in church for help loading a truck full of donations for Red Bird. The second time he helped the Whites, he asked if he could come
“see where this is going, and what the situation is.”
On his second trip with the Whites to Red Bird, Tracy Nolan, Community Outreach Director shared with Ken the need for volunteer help. Ken said,
“You know, I thought, I’m retired. I can drive myself [to Red Bird]. I said [to Tracy], ‘You put me down and I’ll be here’, and that kind of got the ball rolling to start serving here.”
Ken explained that he mostly is doing a lot a physical labor packing and loading food boxes for people and other tasks around Community Outreach. He’s found other opportunities for spiritual ministry that includes speaking at chapels at Red Bird Christian School, preaching at local churches and working with a substance recovery center in Manchester after a full day at the Mission.
Ken said,
“My goal is not physical labor. My goal is the ministry I can do beyond the physical labor. That’s why I’m willing to go day and night.”
A First Ever Color Guard
For the first time in school history, our Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet Color Guard (an all-female color guard) presented the colors in a stirring display of honor and respect. The Red Bird Christian School CAP 801st Cadet Squadron sends a powerful message to young girls everywhere with an all-female color guard! The young ladies showed grace and precision as they proudly presented the colors of the flag.
Traditionally, color guard has been seen as a male-dominated activity, but these girls are redefining what it means to be a color guard member. As these girls continue to break down barriers, they are not just changing the game for themselves; they are creating a legacy of empowerment and possibility. They are showing the world that girls can do anything they set their minds to, including leading the way in color guard.
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