Marsh Regional invites blood donors to give in honor of World Blood Donor Day
Donors will receive limited edition T-shirt, Chick-fil-A lunch
Marsh Regional Blood Center invites blood donors to “make the rockin’ world go round” on Wednesday, June 14, as a part of World Blood Donor Day, joining blood donation organizations around the world to celebrate blood donors and spread awareness of the importance of regular blood donation.
Since 2005, the World Health Organization has recognized June 14 as World Blood Donor Day – an international celebration of the world’s blood donors that raises awareness of the importance of donating blood and blood products. This year’s theme, “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often,” highlights the importance of regular donation to sustain a lifesaving supply of blood and blood products, such as plasma and platelets.
For Marsh Regional, World Blood Donor Day marks an opportunity to celebrate the region’s regular donors while spreading the word about the benefits of blood and blood product donations. All donors who give during World Blood Donor Day will receive a limited-edition “Blood donors make the rockin’ world go round” T-shirt, and donors who give between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. will be treated to a free Chick-fil-A boxed lunch, courtesy of Marsh Regional.
“Blood donors save millions of lives around the world every year, and the Appalachian Highlands needs a base of regular blood donors just like anywhere else,” said Steffanie Sukel, director of Marsh Regional. “We want to take a day to celebrate our dedicated donors and encourage everyone who is able to consider visiting a Marsh Regional location to learn more about donating. The donations Marsh Regional collects stay within the region, so your gift could even save the life of someone you know.”
All three Marsh Regional donation centers are open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on World Blood Donor Day. Donors may schedule appointments online or by phone. Walk-ins are welcome but might experience a longer wait time.
“For us and many communities all over the world, our regular donors are the backbone of our collection efforts,” Sukel said. “World Blood Donor Day is a wonderful day to celebrate our dedicated donors and encourage those who can donate to come out and do so regularly – and that they can give more than whole blood. Platelet donation, in particular, is very important for our cancer patients and other patients experiencing chronic illness, and plasma donation helps treat patients experiencing shock or patients with blood clotting deficiencies.”
Marsh Regional supplies blood and blood products to 21 regional medical facilities, all regional cancer centers and five air rescue bases in Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky. Blood donations benefit trauma patients as well as patients who need a regular supply of blood and blood products, such as patients in treatment for cancer or blood disorders.
World Blood Donor Day will be recognized at Marsh Regional’s collection centers: 111 W. Stone Drive, Suite 300, Kingsport; 2428 Knob Creek Road, Johnson City; and 1996 W. State St., Bristol. Donors can call one of the donation centers to schedule an appointment, and online scheduling is available at www.marshblood.com. To contact a blood center, please call:
- 423-408-7500 for the Kingsport center
- 423-652-0014 for the Bristol center
- 423-282-7090 for the Johnson City center
To give blood, donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. People with a cold, sore throat, fever, flu or fever blisters or those who are taking antibiotics are not eligible to donate. Donors should eat a well-balanced meal before giving blood.
For those who are unable to come to the World Blood Donor Day drive, Marsh Regional accepts appointments at any of its three locations in Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City. For more information on Marsh Regional and blood donation, please visit marshblood.com.
