News & Events
Boots and Badges Blood Drive
CONTACT:
Jamie Muldrow, 803-251-6034,
muldrowjb@usa.redcross.org
Community Citizens Encouraged to Donate
Blood in Support of
Local Public Safety
Officials
First annual “Boots and Badges” competition to
kick-off Memorial Day Weekend
The Columbia City Police and Fire
Departments are partnering with the American Red Cross South Carolina
Blood Services Region Memorial Day weekend for the first annual “Boots
and Badges” blood drive. The event will be held at the
American
Red Cross
Columbia
Donor
Center, 2751 Bull St., 7
a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 27-29 and 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday, June 1 and 2.
Columbia-area residents are invited to show their
support for local firefighters and police officers and become a hero
this summer by giving blood for a patient in need. Community blood
supplies are typically scarce during holiday periods due to high school
and college summer breaks and family vacations; however, the blood
supply doesn’t take a vacation and patients continue to need life-saving
blood. To help offset the strain placed on the blood supply during the
start of summer, the “Boots and Badges” blood drive competition is being
help to increase donations during Memorial Day weekend.
Fire and police department employees,
their family members and friends, along with community supporters are
invited to participate. All donors at the Boots and Badges blood drive
will receive a free Boots and Badges T-shirt, a chance to vote for their
favorite “team”—“Boots”-firefighters or “Badges”-police officers—plus a
chance to win a cruise for two through the Red Cross “Sail Into Summer”
promotion.
For every unit of blood collected, the Red
Cross will tally one vote for the City of
Columbia Fire Department or the City of Columbia
Police Department based on the donors’ choice. At the end of the drive,
the Red Cross will announce the department with the most votes and honor
the winner with a commemorative plaque.
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The
American Red Cross South Carolina Blood Services Region provides
lifesaving blood to patients in 54 hospitals. Approximately 500 people
need to give blood or platelets each week day to meet hospital demand.
The Red Cross encourages people who are in good health
to donate so that hospital patients have the blood or platelets they
need to make a full recovery. Blood is needed to help treat a variety of
patients including accident victims and individuals undergoing surgery
and cancer treatment.
Blood can be safely donated every 56 days.
Most healthy people age 17 and older,
or 16 with parental consent, who weigh at least 110 pounds,
are eligible to donate blood and platelets. Donors who are 18 and
younger must also meet specific height and weight requirements.
Call
1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to learn more
about giving blood or platelets or to schedule an appointment to donate.
PROMOTION ANNOUNCEMENT:
RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
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