The customized, glow-in-the-dark T-shirt blood donors
This Halloween season, non-profit regional blood center, Blood Assurance, is thanking all of the organization’s “bone-a-fide” blood donors by giving everyone who donates between Thursday and Saturday a customized, glow-in-the-dark T-shirt.
Most recently, Blood Assurance has experienced a critical need for O- blood, the universal blood type, with a 72 percent higher usage rate than normal from area hospitals and trauma centers. The organization encourages all who are able to donate this week, to consider taking 45 minutes out of their day to make a life-saving donation.
“Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood, and more than 540 volunteer blood donors are needed every day in order to adequately supply the 75 healthcare facilities where each donation is sent,” said Charlie Callari, vice president of marketing and donor recruitment for Blood Assurance, Inc. “We cannot thank all of our blood donors enough and hope to see the community at a local donor center or bloodmobile during the Halloween weekend.”
To be eligible to donate blood, participants must be at least 17-years-old (16-years-old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids - avoiding caffeine - and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating. For questions about donating blood, please call 756-0966. For more information on Blood Assurance, donating blood or hosting a blood drive, please visit www.bloodassurance.org.