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Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers

Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers

May 22, 2019 | All News and Views, Events, News

TBC Honors Our Community’s Fallen Soldiers

In recognition of Memorial Day, The Blood Connection is honoring fallen soldiers with a commemorative 4-day blood drive. TBC remembers those selfless heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to serve and protect this great nation. As an organization whose main mission is to save lives, TBC thanks those brave men and women for their service. 

To honor the fallen and their families, The Blood Connection has teamed up with the Wounded Warrior Project. For every center donor from May 24-27, TBC will give $10 to the Wounded Warriors Fund. The organization gives back to injured warriors, caregivers, and family members, helping bring independence back to the nation’s most severely wounded veterans.

Donors will also be able to dedicate an American Flag pinwheel to a loved one. The pinwheels will be displayed on the center’s lawn in remembrance. This will be a beautiful picture of our community honoring those who lost their lives for our freedom.

 

Quoted above is Kenneth Greene. He donates regularly with TBC in memory of his father, an army veteran. There are countless local heroes to thank and remember this Memorial Day. TBC is giving community members the chance to show their appreciation through blood donation. While the sacrifice of donating blood comes nowhere near to the sacrifice fallen soldiers have made, it’s a sincere action of an appreciative community. Not only does the blood donation help save local lives, the monetary donation goes towards a better life for a veteran. What better way to honor a life lost than with the act of saving one?

Donors can make an appointment online or visit any TBC Center to support fallen soldiers. Each blood donation has the power to save up to three lives. Together as a community, help show these local heroes and their families that we support them too.

When donors give local with The Blood Connection, it stays local. TBC is the primary blood provider for local hospitals, which means when anyone there needs blood, TBC supplies it. While trauma is the most obvious reason for blood usage, cancer patients are usually the number one recipients of blood products. Donations are also needed for burn victims, premature infants, surgeries, and those with blood disorders, to name a few. When community members share blood, healing happens, and families remain whole. 

Blood donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be 17 years old or 16 with written parental consent. Our centers are open Monday-Friday 7am-7pm and Saturday-Sunday from 7am-5pm. Click here to make an appointment or to call a specific center.

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Featured Artist: Cindy Hammond

Featured Artist: Cindy Hammond

May 20, 2019 | All News and Views, Events, Featured Artist, News

Featured Artist: Cindy Hammond

My interest in Art began at an early age with my mother and grandmother crafting, knitting, sewing, and expressing their creativity in many ways.  My interest in 2-D art began in high school and further developed in college as a Studio Arts major concentrating in Drawing and Design.

After graduation, I worked as a designer and then entered the field of graphics.  Taking time out to raise my family, I didn’t re-ignite my love for Art until the early 2000’s admiring the works of many painters.  First, working in watercolors, years later, I then moved to oils and acrylics.  Today, I primarily work in oils and love the texture, color, and values achieved in the richly pigmented paints.  I consider myself self taught in painting and continue to take workshops to further my techniques, skill, and knowledge of painting.  I have worked with many seasoned artists throughout my journey.  To name a few, Mary Segars, Jacki Newell, Alice Williams, Gary Bodner, Jeff Erikson, Mark Bettis, Leslie Saeta, and Sandra Roper.  They all have inspired me in different ways and I feel fortunate to have studied with these exceptional artists.

I am a contemporary oil painter working in both experimental and representational themes.  I create abstracts in an oil and cold wax medium lending itself to a freer form of art, focusing on, form, color, line, texture, markings, and movement.  When I paint traditional oils, I like a loose brushstroke, creating soft edges, harmonious color, simplicity, and a painterly style.  I like to work from photographs and use a limited palette to maintain harmony in the painting.

I hope you enjoy viewing my art as much as I enjoy creating it.  All of the art are original pieces created in my studio located in Fountain Inn, SC at 301 Farmwood Drive, Fountain Inn, SC  29644.

I can be reached at 864-270-5063 and via email at clhammond@charter.net or cindyhammondfineart@gmail.com.

Lyman teen and pageant queen shines as blood drive host and donor

Lyman teen and pageant queen shines as blood drive host and donor

May 13, 2019 | Donor Spotlight, Education, Host Spotlight, News

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Hailey Greer shines on and off the pageant stage 

Miss River City Teen turns passion for blood donation into platform, donates blood for the first time on her 16th birthday

16-year-old Hailey Greer spent her sweet sixteen at the Blood Connection Donation Center in Spartanburg, giving back to her community. It’s not what you might expect from a high-schooler, but it’s no surprise for those who know Hailey. Some know her as the current Miss River City Teen or former Miss Powdersville. With a few pageant wins under her belt, she’s now in the running to become Miss South Carolina Teen, where a lot more people with get to know her and what she stands for. Hailey is using her contagious smile to spread the word about blood donation, making it her personal platform for Miss South Carolina.

Hailey started hosting drives when she was just a freshman at Byrnes High School. Her mother’s touching story is what drives Hailey to tell others about the life-saving power of blood donation. Her mother lost about half of her blood volume after Hailey was born. Since Hailey knows blood donations saved her mother’s life, she wants to help do that for others in her community. And when she started asking questions to her friends and family, she realized a lot of people around her have needed blood too. Doing her own research about blood transfusions fueled the fire, and she began encouraging her friends to donate at school. 

“Just telling them [students] how much their blood can help somebody is normally what does it for them. And by giving blood, they feel like they have a purpose.”

Hailey has hosted almost 10 blood drives (and counting) with The Blood Connection, starting way before she was old enough to donate blood herself. Hailey donated for the first time with TBC at the Spartanburg Center on her birthday on May 19th, surrounded by her friends and family. She’s now in the club of local lifesavers!

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TBC is grateful for Hailey’s selfless dedication to her community and passion to serve as a blood drive host. She is truly an inspiration, juggling her school work, dance team practices, preparation for pageants, and learning how to drive, yet still making time to serve her community. Making connections in the community is what TBC is all about. Hailey is the perfect example of a caring connector, who has not only affected the lives of many local blood recipients but their families too. Soon she’ll be able to add “lifesaver” next to the long list of her titles. TBC wishes Hailey the best of luck at the Miss SC Teen pageant! 

WYFF Channel 4 shared Hailey’s beautiful story as part of its Project CommUNITY series. Check it out!

The Spartanburg Donation Center is located at 270 N Grove Medical Park Dr. It’s open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m on the weekends. Blood donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be 17 years old or 16 with written parental consent. Photo ID required. To reduce donation time, donors can make an appointment in advance.

Check out the TBC High School Program, which awards students like Hailey who are impacting their communities through blood donation and hosting blood drives.

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300th Donation: Danny Howard

300th Donation: Danny Howard

May 3, 2019 | Donor Spotlight, News

Loyal donor gives for the 300th time

Yep, 300 times…that’s dedication. 

The Blood Connection is proud to celebrate Danny Howard as a loyal donor, who donated for the 300th time on May 1st, 2019 at the Woodruff Road Donation Center.  Born and raised in Greenville, SC,  Danny has been giving back to the community he calls home for more than 30 years. He started donating as a high school student (shout out to Greenville High), and the rest is history.

Get this–Danny has donated 37 gallons! That means he’s helped save A LOT of lives! As if that wasn’t enough, Danny has shown his loyalty by giving whatever we needed at the time, from red cells, to plasma, to platelets. He’s a true selfless hero.

“I want to give back to those who need it…it’s just something to give back to the community.” 

It’s that simple, he says, giving back is the right thing to do. Danny is also a proud graduate of Clemson University, where he worked until his recent retirement. Now, he encourages his co-workers, neighbors, and others in his community to give back with him. He’s sharing life in more ways than one.

Danny is the perfect example of a local lifesaver who cares about his community. We’re lucky to have him as a donor in our Upstate community. Way to go Danny! 

NC high school student honored for work with TBC

NC high school student honored for work with TBC

Apr 8, 2019 | Events, News

United Way Fall Festival
Temoor receives check
United Way Fall Festival
United Way Fall Festival

Temoor Dard awarded scholarship 

Wake County High School Student Writes Inspiring Letter Encouraging Blood Donation

A Panther Creek High School senior is hoping to bring back a life-saving tradition to the Wake County School System. Temoor Dard is a loyal blood drive host for The Blood Connection, a community blood center in Central and Eastern North Carolina. Dard has impacted hundreds of lives in his community through his hard work with TBC. Before he leaves high school, he’s pushing to make one last change. Dard has asked the Wake County School System to allow blood drives in schools again, so other students can get involved in making a difference too.

In a letter to Wake County School administrators, Dard wrote: “Not only does this community service project impact thousands of lives, it helps bring the community closer together, and inspires others to make a difference in their community. The end goal isn’t just about reaching a numeric goal, but also inspiring students to become active in their communities, whether it is by organizing book drives, growing their own gardens, etc…As a whole, Wake County high schools can save thousands of lives just by hosting blood drives once or twice a year.”

On Saturday April 6th, Dard hosted a high school blood drive with Panther Creek and Green Hope high school students in the Whole Foods parking lot on Arco Street in Cary, NC. The drive collected more than 100 units, saving approximately 300 lives. Before the drive started, Dard was also awarded a $500 scholarship because of his success with TBC. 

Dard has been leaving a lasting mark on his community throughout his high school career. He’s been involved with blood drives since he was a freshman at PCHS. Before The Blood Connection became the primary blood supplier for UNC Rex Health Care in 2018, Dard had already hosted four blood drives on his own. His first drive with TBC last year was his most successful, bringing in 120 donations that helped save approximately 350 lives. Since the Wake County Public School System does not allow blood drives in schools, Dard has made it his mission to change that.

Dard’s grandfather is his inspiration for becoming a blood donation advocate. His grandfather had multiple blood transfusions during open heart surgery when Dard was younger. His inspiration couples well with his intense passion to make a difference in his community and to bring people together.

“I want to leave an impact on my community. I want to have a legacy of quantifiable impact. I find satisfaction in helping others and leading projects for the greater good,” Dard told TBC. “The issue of a blood shortage hit close to home, as I knew what it felt like to almost lose a loved on… It’s fun to bring a community together in the act of saving lives.”

TBC is so grateful for Dard’s dedication to his community and willingness to serve as a blood drive host. He is truly an inspiration. He has not only affected the lives of local blood recipients, but their families too. He will surely make an even greater impact as a student at UNC Chapel Hill.  

The Raleigh Donation Center is located at 5925 Glenwood Avenue. It’s open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m on the weekends. Blood donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be 17 years old or 16 with written parental consent. Photo ID required. To reduce donation time, donors can make an appointment in advance at: https://thebloodconnection.org/

Check out the TBC High School Program, which awards students like Temoor who are impacting their communities through blood donation and hosting blood drives: https://thebloodconnection.org/events/school-programs/high-school-program/

 

Dear Wake County High School Administrators,

My name is Temoor Dard and I am a senior at Panther Creek High School in Wake County. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to direct blood drives ever since I was a freshman up until now. PCHS has been very consistent with the blood drive tradition, and due to our improving success, our partner, the Blood Connection (a blood bank serving the Triangle), has asked us to start this initiative across all high schools in Wake County. 

NC is facing a critical blood shortage, and the only way to address this problem is to get more people to donate blood, because blood is one of the few things we can’t artificially manufacture. Every pint of blood saves 3 lives and it only takes 15 minutes to donate. 

However, Wake County, as of January 2018, does not allow high schools to have blood drives on campus. Fortunately, PCHS has been very successful in hosting our first ever off campus blood drive last November, and we would like to help other high schools do the same. For some context, the blood drives on campus at PCHS consistently brought in 70-80 people, but our first off-campus blood drive brought in 154, doubling our previous total. That same level of success and more can be emulated throughout Wake County. As a whole, Wake County high schools can save thousands of lives just by hosting blood drives once or twice a year.

Not only does this community service project impact thousands of lives, it helps bring the community closer together, and inspires others to make an difference in their community. The end goal isn’t just about reaching a numeric goal, but also inspiring students to become active in their communities, whether it is by organizing book drives, growing their own gardens, etc. In the end, the option lies up to you to pursue this community service event.

Keep in mind, if you are interested in pursuing this event, the blood drive would most likely be held in April or May, depending on how fast it can be organized. It normally takes a little over a month for PCHS to fully organize their drives. Blood drives are held on the weekend to not interfere with school hours.

I’ve also attached a document below detailing the first steps you should take to start your blood drive initiative at your school. It details everything about points of contact at the Blood Connection, incentives, advertising, registration, set up, and more. 

If you have questions or concerns, please let me know and I will help you to the best of my ability. I look forward to working with you!

Thank you,

 

Temoor K. Dard

PCHS Blood Drive Director

Loyal Donor, Hometown Hero

Loyal Donor, Hometown Hero

Mar 26, 2019 | Donor Spotlight, News

Loyal Donor, Hometown Hero

While loyalty may be hard to find these days, The Blood Connection has found a proven loyal friend in Morris Gray, also known as “Mo.” He’s what some may call a super-donor. On March 24th, he donated blood for the 201st time at the TBC Easley Donation Center. For the past eight years, he’s donated consistently twice a month. So far this year, he’s already donated five times, bringing his donation total to 25 gallons! Morris’ donation story started back in 1996, when he gave blood for the first time with a coworker on a spur of the moment. That simple decision changed his life and has since saved countless others’ lives. Morris has certainly earned the ‘super-donor’ title; he can add it to his resume, right next to ‘lifesaver.’

Cancer patients are Morris’ inspiration for giving. He donates in honor of his friends who have battled the disease. He’s thankful to have the type of virus-free blood that cancer patients need, something he wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t donated years ago. Knowing his blood has the power to help patients in his hometown is what keeps him coming back. Morris also donates to feel more connected to his community. Since all of the blood TBC collects stays in the community, Morris is giving life to his fellow Upstate neighbors with every donation. He also gives his precious time to spread the word about the importance of giving blood. He’s a big advocate for donating at the TBC Easley Center, his home away from home.

“I enjoy the staff very much and their craziness – the good humor, laughter and the professional, caring attention they give me!”

It’s easy to celebrate a hometown hero like Morris. The Blood Connection is extremely grateful for his giving spirit and big impact he’s made in the community for the past 20 years. TBC hopes Morris’ story will inspire others to join an unstoppable team of loyal donors on a mission to save lives in the Upstate.