Sons pay homage to mother with blood drive

Highland Mills - Last Sunday John and Brian Flannery continued the work their mother started. The two Monroe-Woodbury High School honor students held a blood drive at the parish hall of St. Patrick’s church. It was something their mother, Marian, had done any number of times. But after her death in September 2004, the sons of Marian Flannery said the responsibility fell to them. “She really supported the blood drives; she truly realized that there’s a lot of people out there who need blood,” said Brian. “And having a blood drive is the only way to get it to them. You can’t make synthetic blood - only your body can make blood. Blood drives are so important and we’re happy to see so many people come out” The boys said the hardest thing about putting on a blood drive is getting people to come, so their first task was to put flyers up all over Woodbury. They also had to contact the New York Blood Bank, which sent all the appropriate personnel and equipment. Once the drive started Sunday, the boys would just help out wherever they were needed, giving people a snack after they gave blood or directing donors where to go. “This blood drive is a wonderful thing that the boys and the parish do,” said Erich Tusch, a longtime family friend and return-blood donor. “It’s a fitting tribute to Marian Flannery, who was one of the most giving people I have ever known.” The boys also do a lot of volunteer work for the church and a number of nursing homes in the area. Both of them are honor roll students, and John, a member of the M-W Football team, just won a big football game against North Rockland on Friday. John Flannery Sr. said that although he has lost his wife, he feels like a lucky guy, what with his two sons and daughter, Kathleen. “I know their mother is looking down on them everyday making sure they’re doing everything they can to be good students, good citizens and just good people.”