VERSAILLES, Ohio – Steve Knapke is remembered as a humble man and a dedicated blood donor who might never have imagined that a blood drive in his memory would be celebrated for an eighth year with more than 100 donors.
The eight annual Steve Knapke Memorial Blood Drive Sept. 16 at the Versailles Knights of Columbus Hall totaled 113 donors, including 99 whole blood donors, 90 whole blood units donated, and 14 platelet and plasma donors. Over its history, the blood drive has registered 1,188 donors.
Steve became a dedicated blood and platelet donor after surviving a 1988 auto accident caused by an impaired driver. He had made 81 lifetime donations before his death in a 2016 auto accident, again caused by an impaired driver.
Steve’s wife Lois, a retired nurse, survived the accident with severe injuries that still impact her health. Lois, son Doug and daughters Rachel Durham, Lisa DiRenzo and Emmy D’Antonio dedicated the first memorial blood drive in 2017.
“It was important to my dad, he was very humble about it,” said Rachel, a nurse at Dublin Methodist Hospital. “You don’t realize how much blood can be needed for one person.”
“I didn’t think about where the blood was coming from until I needed it, and couldn’t get what I needed,” said Steve’s daughter Emmy D’Antonio who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2020. “I needed an HLA match, and it took three days to get it.” She received 19 blood and platelet transfusions during treatment on her way to remission.
Steve Knapke came from a Versailles family of 11. His brother Joe Knapke made his first successful blood donation in Steve’s honor at last year’s memorial blood drive and made his fifth lifetime donation at this year’s.
Lois’ cousin Joyce Hart came from Greenville and made her 207th lifetime donation. “Lois and I are the same age,” said Joyce. “I said I’m going to make sure to be in Versailles and it’s time.”
Steve’s sister Rosie Subler and Kathy Re volunteered to serve cookies to donors. “He was my big brother, and he was my leader!” said Kathy. “He was the leader of the middle kids, and I was a tom boy because of running with my brothers Jerry and Steve. He was very near and dear to me.”
“It’s very important,” Steve’s niece Sara Wagner said about donating in his memory. “It was super important to him, and it was something he was super proud of.”
Schedule a blood donation with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.