Blood Assurance will host a donor appreciation day at its Fort Oglethorpe blood center next Thursday. Special prizes, food and recognition of top area donors will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Fort Oglethorpe blood center is located at 2720 Lafayette Road, next to Sears Shoe Store. The blood center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Blood Assurance President and CEO Rick Youngblood said “Our volunteer donors are heroes to hospital patients needing blood.
Those patients could not survive if they did not get the red cell, platelet or plasma transfusions our donors provide. They are truly saving lives every day, and we wanted to recognize their community service.” Blood Assurance donor centers in other areas will be holding donor appreciation days throughout 2014.
Blood Assurance is a non-profit blood center that serves 47 counties in a 5 state region, and is the provider of blood and blood components for 70 healthcare facilities, including Hutcheson Medical Center. Over 440 blood donors are needed every day in order to adequately supply the region served by Blood Assurance with lifesaving blood.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. The process usually takes about 30 minutes and includes a complimentary snack and t-shirt. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids - avoiding caffeine - and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating.
If you would like to set up a blood drive in the Fort Oglethorpe area, please contact donor recruiter Karla Ramirez at 423-260-0310. For more information about donating blood, please call Blood Assurance at 1-800-962-0628 or go to www.BloodAssurance.org.