 |
| John Allard |
Allard began his Red Cross volunteer career in 1970, and
over the next 48 years dedicated over 50,000 hours to supporting this
lifesaving mission. For over a hundred hours a month, John would tuck himself
into a corner workroom of the Union Road Blood Donation Center in Cheektowaga,
making the many road signs used to promote blood drives across the NY-Penn
region. He took great pride in his work, always cleaning and repairing the
signs before adding the updated information.
 |
| John Allard and District Director Vicki Smith |
John’s positive attitude could not be confined to a corner
office, however. He was also one of the first people to sign up and volunteer
as a donor ambassador. John greeted blood donors at five to ten drives each
month, making sure those giving that lifesaving gift were treated with kindness
and respect. After he was hospitalized following a serious accident in December
2018, donors often asked other staff and volunteers, “Where’s John?” John was
also a donor himself, starting in 1963 at the age of 17 and donating over 40
gallons of blood during his lifetime.
 |
| Regional Disaster Officer Ken Turner (l) and Volunteer Driver Program Coordinator Rachel Elzufon-Couch present John Allard with the WNY Chapter 2018 Clara Barton Award |
For his efforts, the Western New York Chapter twice
recognized John Allard with its highest local volunteer honor, the Clara Barton
Award, most recently in August 2018. While in the hospital and rehab facilities
following his accident last December, John would light up when members of his
Red Cross family would visit to show our love and support.
John Allard, a United States Air Force veteran and avid
fisherman, passed away on April 13, 2019, at the age of 72. The son of the late
Clayton and Marian Allard, and brother to Kathy, Tom, Bill, Rich, Susan, Dave,
the late Clayton Jr., and the late Michael Allard, he is also survived by many
loving nieces and nephews. Memorial services are scheduled to take place this week. The Western New York Chapter and the NY-Penn Blood region send our thoughts
and prayers to John’s family and friends, as we are working to honor his
amazing Red Cross legacy for years to come.
-Jay Bonafede, Regional Communications Officer
American Red Cross, Western and Central New York Region
