By Susan Gallagher

She spent 17 years as a Norfolk, VA, morning show host on some of the largest radio stations in the region ---- interviewing guests, taking calls from listeners, promoting products or local events, and managing station contests. 

But throughout that career, Tricia Friddell’s real passion was encouraging everyone who could to donate blood.  She is still inspiring acquaintances and friends to give blood in her current role as Executive Director of the Platte City Area Chamber of Commerce near Kansas City.

Tricia, herself, has loyally donated every 56 days for 14 years, valiantly overcoming a great fear of needles to make her first donation in 2009. 

“I was both a radio show host and a public service director at my radio station, and local charities would come into the station to talk about their programs,” she recalled.  “I really liked the Red Cross staff member who came on the show.  She talked about the need for blood donors, and one day I saw that my church was sponsoring a blood drive.”

But Tricia was terrified of needles. Finally, while in tears, she headed to the drive and with the help and encouragement of a friend, gave blood.

“I realized it was simply a prick—not painful at all. I had gone through two pregnancies at that point and had not been bothered by needles then. I thought if I can make it through childbirth, I can handle this.  Still, I was in tears when I entered the room to give blood that first time, and then I was in tears when I left realizing that my one unit of blood from that donation could be used to save lives.  After that, I got bit by the Red Cross bug. I wanted to push everyone to give blood.”

So, through her radio program, Tricia staged blood drives, bringing in listeners by promoting “Tricia Pint Parties.”  She cajoled local food vendors to donate sandwiches and smoothies and attracted more than 60 people to each drive—each became a large event.  When Tricia moved to another Norfolk area station, the party was the same but dubbed “Tricia’s Blood Bash.”

The Red Cross chapter in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area quickly realized Tricia’s skill at recruiting donors and tapped her to join the chapter board and chair the Biomedical Services Committee.

She met her husband, Jim, in Virginia.  He spent eight years in the Marine Corps as an officer and was stationed in Norfolk. Later he became a certified financial planner and formed the Opus Group---a boutique wealth management firm that has offices in Kansas, Virginia and Missouri.

In 2017 to be closer to her family, Tricia and Jim moved to Platte City with their four children now age 11 through 16.  Tricia had grown up as one of six children in the small town of Lathrop only 27 miles away.  

Tricia came to the attention of the Kansas City-area Red Cross staff, who quickly recognized her gift for donor recruitment.  She was asked to join the Kansas City Red Cross Chapter Biomedical Services Committee, which develops strategies to secure blood drive sponsors, site hosts, blood donors and volunteers.

With all her Red Cross experience, Tricia is a “pro” at telling anyone she meets about the need for donors. “While 30 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give, only 11 percent actually donate,” she says, adding that the number of donors has dropped by 40% over the last two decades.

“That shortage could grow worse in coming months if winter weather or seasonal respiratory illnesses like the flu or COVID-19 cause people to cancel donation appointments. So, the issue is critical,” she added,

That’s why Tricia is planning a blood drive in February at the Platte City Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on hosting a blood drive or to schedule an appointment to donate blood, visit www.redcrossblood.org