The American Red Cross held a reception last month to celebrate the contributions of Blood Program Leaders Peter and Dawn Zucca, who coordinated Peter Powerhouse Foundation blood drives since 2015 in Kulpsville, Montgomery County. After hosting 117 drives and collecting 11,673 units of blood, the mother-son duo has passed the torch to the Conley family – with 16-year-old Ava and her mom Amy taking the reins.

Starting at age 12, Peter hosted dozens of blood drives annually through his Peter Powerhouse Foundation. The non-profit strives improve the lives of children currently fighting childhood cancer by providing donations to pediatric cancer treatment facilities and contributing financial support to researchers to improve the lives of childhood cancer survivors.

The foundation was born out of Peter’s desire to give back. At only 10 months old, he was first diagnosed with cancer. In addition to undergoing years of chemotherapy, radiation treatment and surgeries, Peter received 51 units of lifesaving blood.

With Peter now in college and Dawn returning to the workforce full time, the Conley family is stepping up. They are a Peter Powerhouse family – benefitting from the foundation’s services over the past 7 years as Logan, currently age 12, battles optic pathway glioma.

Dawn and Peter were presented with a plaque on Feb. 21 for their extraordinary work over the past 9 years. The Foundation especially stepped up during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, holding daily blood drives and single-handedly collecting 4,000 units of blood in 2020. The Zucca family was previously recognized for reaching the milestone of 10,000 units of blood collected in August 2022.

The blood drives, which will continue monthly at Towamencin Mennonite Church, play a major role in supplying blood to patients in Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The next Peter Powerhouse Foundation blood drive is on March 13, 2024 from 2-7 p.m. Schedule a blood donation appointment here.