Take Mary Ojala's advice: Share your gifts with others!

By Mary Brant

Mary Ojala is a familiar face at the Gift-of-Life Marathon blood drive in Rutland, Vermont. Before she retired in 2013, Mary proudly held the title of longest-serving Red Cross volunteer in the Northern New England Region. A woman of strong faith, she loves to share stories from World War II when she first fell in love with volunteer work because everyone pitched in to do their part!

Mary is an occupational therapist by training whose career focused on working with elderly individuals in nursing homes. Those in the Red Cross who have had the pleasure of working with her say she still uses those same skills to keep everyone she encounters moving! Mary retired from volunteer work roughly seven years ago when she was 93 years old but is still a loyal, regular presence at the summer and winter Gift-of-Life-Marathons. Her volunteerism inspired her granddaughter, Abbey, co-owner of the local business Thomas Dairy, to donate fresh milk from her business to those events. Mary accompanies her on those deliveries to see all her old friends.

Mary and granddaughter Abbey

“Mary is the kind of person we should all aspire to be. She has given more of herself to others than anyone I know,” said Steve Costello, a vice president at Gift-of-Life-Marathon sponsor Green Mountain Power. “And she does it with a positive outlook and energy that is contagious. Working with her at a blood drive is just plain fun. In the many hours she has given to the Red Cross over the decades, she has undoubtedly helped save and improve thousands of lives. She leaves you thinking you are the most special person in the world because she connects on such a personal and giving level.”

In November 2020, Mary will celebrate her 100^th birthday surrounded by her 8 children, 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She has been recognized and profiled by her local television station as a “Super Senior”. Mary’s life has been touched by the Great Depression and World War II, but she keeps her eyes on the horizon, focusing on possibilities rather than problems.

Happy Birthday, Mary!

“One of the great joys of my life has been the gift of volunteering with the Red Cross and other nonprofit organizations,” Mary said. “I wish for everyone who reads this that they will reach out and share whatever gifts they have to give with others; I promise them that they will meet so many interesting people and have so much fun they will wonder why they waited so long!”