Central California Blood Center Opens in Fresno | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Monday, August 31, 2009

Fresno, CA The new twenty-million-dollar, Central California Blood Center officially opened its doors to the public Monday morning.

The smiling face of Jenny Eller looks out over the new donor center ... bearing her name.

Over a decade ago Jenny lost her battle with leukemia ... and her father has been the driving force behind getting the new blood center built.

Dean Eller said, "She wanted others to have a chance for life. So she became the spokesperson, and I promised her the night she died I would carry on her work and this is the culmination of that."

The Blood Center broke ground last September and over the past 11 months the 70-thousand square foot donor center and lab took shape on the eight acre campus.

Jim Lowe was the first member of the public to donate once the doors opened at 8:00 a.m.

Jim Lowe said, "On my way back from dropping my son off at school and i thought, what the heck, I'll just stop by and see if I can donate this morning. I didn't expect to be the first one"

Donations were flowing Monday morning ... and they weren't just measured in pints, but dollars too.

The Central Valley Cycling Charitable Association gave a 50-thousand-dollar check to go toward a new bloodmobile.