With Deb Brinegar behind the wheel and Mario Hollis navigating from the passenger seat, thousands of blood donations made their way safely across Kansas and Oklahoma back to the labs for processing. They were a volunteer blood transportation team – a little-known, yet vital logistical part of getting blood from drives to donors.

Deb had been a longtime volunteer for the Red Cross when she met Mario at a party at his home in 2016. She had been invited by her kayaking buddy, Kyra Hollis, who was also Mario’s daughter. They really hit it off when Mario mentioned he was a blood donor. Deb shared that she had recently become a blood transport driver and Mario replied he loved to travel.

Mario soon became Deb’s transportation assistant. He rode alongside her, pumped gas, washed the windows, played the license plate game, and navigated through weather and construction. They made two or three drives a month, from half-hour jaunts to six-hour round trips from Wichita to the Oklahoma panhandle. Mario once helped them dodge tornadic activity by cross-referencing the radio warnings with physical map to find safe passage to deliver blood in time. On another trip they were delayed by a grassfire on the prairie, flames unforgettable against the night sky.

As Mario got older, he moved to Winfield, KS and was no longer able to ride with Deb but stayed included via messages. He still planned and monitored the route from home and the phlebotomists listened intently to his updates that Deb brought while the van was loading.

Mario passed away December 1, 2024. Deb and Kyra scattered Mario’s ashes in Arkansas, near his family’s plots. They spent the weekend in Eureka Springs, reminiscing and kayaking in his memory. When she returned home, Deb knew she had to share Mario’s history of service with the world: by donating money to dedicate a blood transport van in his name.

“It was such a nice surprise in honor of my dad,” Kyra said. “When she announced it at the memorial, we were all crying.”

In 2024, the Red Cross serving Kansas hosted over 3,500 community blood drives and collected over 100,000 lifesaving units of blood. Red Cross vehicles travel 2.5 million miles a year. Gifts like Deb’s help the Red Cross from behind the scenes to complete its mission of alleviating human suffering.

“Our vans are the workhorses of our mission delivery. They help transport blood, respond to disasters and bring emergency supplies, and deliver hope to anyone in need,” says senior regional philanthropy officer Jeny Mash.

“I will always cherish those trips physically and in spirit with Mario. He became such a dear and treasured friend not only to me but to the Red Cross staff,” Deb said. “It’s said that we don’t meet people by accident, they are meant to cross our path for a reason. Thank you, Mario, for crossing my path and becoming such a dear friend. Your friendship has blessed my life in so many ways.”

On November 4, 2025, the dedicated van was revealed at the Wichita Blood Donation Center. Deb and Kyra took the inaugural first ride to park it with the fleet, Mario’s photos on the dash.