Officials with Community Blood Center of the Ozarks are hoping a successful pre-Thanksgiving drive is the start of a strong holiday giving season.
CBCO is hosting several opportunities upcoming, including the “Miracle of Giving” blood drive on Dec. 14. Chris Pilgrim is the organization’s media relations representative.
“You know the need for blood never takes a holiday off, whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas or Wednesday, blood needs don’t go without. It’s our job to provide them with enough blood that they need to get them through the holidays and through their next emergency; whatever it may be.”
This drive will also include a 50 percent bonus on LifePoints. As a thank you and incentive to donors, CBCO offers these points each time blood is donated, the value of which is sometimes increased depending on time of year and need. The LifePoints are redeemable online for items including gift cards.
Last week the organization hosted its first “Bloodlines Rivalry” blood drive in celebration of the University of Arkansas and Missouri football game. It helped supply the blood bank with units to stock the 39 area hospitals that it serves. Pilgrim says that participation during the drive was promising.
“We had a tremendous response to our Bloodline Rivalry blood drive. Lots of donors showed up to get their 50 percent bonus on LifePoints and their Bloodline Rivalry t-shirt, and help us make it through the long Thanksgiving weekend.”
Pilgrim adds that blood is always needed to keep hospital reserves from becoming dangerously low. A three-day supply of blood units is preferred by the center, he says, as blood transfusion levels tend to fluctuate. To sustain this level of units, an average of 220 donations must be made every day. A code yellow alert is currently in effect for CBCO’s blood types for O-, B-, and AB-
For more information about how to donate and upcoming drives, visit the Community Blood Center’s website here.