June 9, 2007 (Page A10, A11)

By Kristen M. Daum

kdaum@forumcomm.com

Jim and Linda Parker stepped out of their minivan Friday morning to a chorus of cheers and applause outside Fargo's United Blood Services.

Smiling at the welcome they received, the Kansas residents stepped forward to donate platelets and mark North Dakota as the 28th state they've donated in.

"In our travels, Little Rock, Arkansas, was the most hospitable place we've ever been, but you guys beat Little Rock all to heck!" said Jim Parker, 69, as his wife, Linda, 57, hugged the services' giant blood-drop mascot, Ubie.

United Blood Services arranged to have about 25 staff members waiting outside to greet and welcome the Kansas couple as they arrived for their donation.

The staff's welcome was complete with a burst of confetti over the Parkers' heads as they passed, making Fargo's hospitality stand out.

Jennifer Bredahl, the services' donor recruitment director, said she was honored to host the Parkers for their donation.

"They've never had a response like this from a community," Bredahl said. "I saw in her eyes when they walked in, she welled up a little bit in her eyes, and it meant a lot."

Jim and Linda Parker have been driving across America to donate blood and platelets since 2004. Their goal is to donate in all 48 states in the continental U.S.

Jim Parker said they chose Fargo as their North Dakota stop because it is the most accessible location from their Kansas home.

"And after seeing the movie, how can you resist?" Jim Parker said.

The Parkers want to use their journey to raise awareness of the shortage of blood products and the need for more donors across the nation, Jim Parker said.

"My wife and I had a period in our life when we weren't doing anything - we had time, and we were trying to think, 'What could we do to help make the public more aware?' " Jim Parker said. "What we had read - we actually found from our experiences - to be true."

Jim Parker recalled memories of people he'd met on their travels who were in need of donations and how he and his wife noticed the lack of supplies available in many locations.

"We already hit places where operations were being postponed because there wasn't enough blood products available to carry on the surgery," he said. "We found that in most regions they would have half a day's supply of blood on hand - just a desperate, desperate shortage of blood products."

Bredahl said donors must be 17 years old or older, weight 110 pounds and be in good health, adding that people are welcome to stop in to the Fargo location at any time to see if they're eligible.

"Some people are taking it on as their mission, but we just hope some people take it on as their regular lifestyle to donate," Bredahl said.

And as Jim Parker said, it doesn't take a lot of effort to save a life.

"If we can drive across the nation to donate, surely there's people in Fargo who can drive across town to donate," Jim Parker said.

The Parkers next head to Cheyenne, Wyo., and want to visit four more states in New England by summer's end.