Community Spotlight: David Moates To Achieve 100 Gallon Donor Milestone

BRADENTON – David Moates has been a coach and mentor to high school and now college students for many years, following his 3 year stint in the 1970’s as a professional baseball player with a .260 batting average. Perhaps his greatest home run will occur on Saturday, November 8, 2014 when he again donates platelets and achieves his 100 gallon donor milestone.

Dave will begin the donation process at 9 a.m. at the Bradenton Donor Center, located at 216 Manatee Ave. E., and recognition festivities will commence following at approximately 11a.m. Fellow blood and platelet donors, blood recipients and the public are invited to stop by and thank Dave for his many years of lifesaving community service that has saved hundreds of patient lives and families!

In 2010, Dave received the ‘Chairperson of the Year’ award from the Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals. This was bestowed for his leadership in organizing students at Lakewood Ranch High School to conduct outstanding blood drives and his establishment of the ‘Leave A Legacy’ program, where the underclassmen were challenged to surpass the donation totals of the previous senior class at their final blood drive of the school year. Due to his blood drive leadership and example to students by being a regular blood and platelet donor, in pursuit of his 100 gallon milestone, in 2012 Dave was inducted into the Fenwal Donation Hall of Fame.

After 25 years of teaching and coaching in Manatee County Schools, including leading the Lakewood Ranch High School baseball team to the 2003 State Title, Dave retired in 2013. He continues as he has for the past 17 years to teach baseball during the summer at the IMG Academy and for the past 4 years served as an assistant baseball coach at State College of Florida. 

Generally healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type visit oneblood.org or call 1.800.68.BLOOD.(1.800.682.5663).