Community Blood Bank is asking for residents to consider donating blood and support the local blood supply as Murray County Medical Center, Murray County E.M.S., Slayton Fire Department and Slayton Law Enforcement join forces to host the annual Heroes Behind the Badges blood drive event on Wednesday, June 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at MCMC.
All who donate will receive Subway gift card and All American blood donor t-shirt. To schedule an appointment people may log onto cbblifeblood.org, select “events”, June 22 and Murray County Medical Center or call 507-836-1286. Information can be found at log onto www.cbblifeblood.org.
“Summer is the most difficult time of year to maintain an adequate blood supply for our community hospitals,” says Ken Versteeg, Executive Director, Community Blood Bank. “We are just holding our own when it comes to the local blood supply. We are just slightly above the “critical” appeal status as we continue to barely meet the demand for blood.
Community Blood Bank supplies over 550 units of blood each week to people in northwestern Iowa, southeastern South Dakota, and southwestern Minnesota. Giving blood is a short process that will change a patient’s outlook quickly.
A person can donate blood every 56 days. This is a terrific way to help save someone in your community and to ready local supplies for situations requiring blood transfusions immediately. Join in to support the local blood supply and the community’s local heroes.”
Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with a signed parent consent form found at www.cbblifeblood.org), weigh 110 lbs or more and be in good general health the day of the donation. Please bring an I.D. It is recommended that a person eat and drink plenty of fluid prior to donating.
For additional information call Community Blood Bank at (605) 331-3222. Community Blood Banks is a nonprofit, cooperative of Sanford Medical Center and Avera McKennan Hospital. Community Blood Bank is not associated with any other blood bank organizations and is the sole blood provider to MCMC for over 25 years.
