News Archives - Page 15 of 15 - Donate Blood

Celebrate World Blood Donor Day with TBC

Jun 7, 2019 | cBlog, Education, Events, News

Celebrate World Blood Donor Day with TBC

Be part of a world-wide movement of people donating blood on World Blood Donor Day! The Blood Connection (TBC) has donation centers and mobiles all over North or South Carolina to make sure you can take part!

Friday, June 14th is World Blood Donor Day 2019 and this year’s campaign recognizes the need for safe blood for all. TBC is joining organizations in the US and around the world to acknowledge the constant need and to celebrate blood donors who are committed to saving lives.

“We want our blood donors to feel as special they are, for saving lives every day through their generous blood donations,” said TBC President and CEO, Delisa English. “We also hope to inspire more people throughout the community to donate blood regularly, and often.”

Health is a human right; everyone in the world should have access to safe blood transfusions, whenever and wherever they need them. The need for blood products is universal, but access to safe blood and blood products varies greatly across and within countries. It starts with donating local.

Special events by region:

– Eastern North Carolina:

June 14th – Raleigh TBC Donation Center – 5925 Glenwood Avenue

Miss North Carolina, Laura Matrazzo, will be visiting the center from 2:30-4:30 p.m. and Miss Garner’s Outstanding Teen, Ashton Britt, will be there from 11a.m.-2 p.m. The community and media are welcome to attend and meet them.

– Upstate South Carolina:

June 14th & 15th – Spartanburg and Greenville Donation Centers

Join WSSL 100, for a country-lovin’ blood drive! They’ll have your favorite country tunes playing when you come donate with TBC. The simple act of donating blood will get you 2 tickets to hang with Locash, Russell Dickerson, Dylan Scott, and Rachel Wammack, and Joe Lasher at the Pickin’ in the Park concert in Spartanburg! We’ll also hook you up with a Country’s in My Blood t-shirt to show off that country pride.

– Western North Carolina:

June 27th – WLOS Station – 110 Technology Drive

To round out the month of June, TBC is also teaming up with WLOS ABC13 for the 32nd Annual Operation Blood Drive. Donors can visit six different locations around Asheville to take part in OBD. Donors will also receive a special OBD t-shirt.

Sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), World Blood Donor Day celebrations bring a precious opportunity to celebrate all blood donors on a local, national and global level as well as to commemorate the birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, a Nobel Prize winner credited for distinguishing the main blood groups in 1900.

Blood transfusions help save millions of lives every year around the world. Here in the Western North Carolina area, they help local patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer with a higher quality of life. Blood also has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and perinatal care, as well as people with traumatic injuries and patients undergoing surgical procedures. But an adequate blood supply can only be assured through regular donations by voluntary blood donors.

Blood donors must be 16 years old with parental consent, or 17 years old or older to donate. All donors must have a photo ID.

Click DONATE NOW to find your nearest location! Thank you for saving lives in our community!

Two Independent Hospitals in Eastern North Carolina Choose New Blood Provider

Jun 3, 2019 | Hospital, News

Two Independent Hospitals in Eastern North Carolina Choose New Blood Provider

RALEIGH, N.C – The Blood Connection (TBC), based in Greenville, SC, is now the exclusive blood provider for Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, NC and Martin General in Williamston, NC. On June 1, 2019, TBC began serving both hospitals, expanding its reach in Onslow County and breaching into new territory in Martin County.

TBC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community blood center, licensed and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. TBC has served the Upstate of South Carolina for decades and is now the exclusive provider for every Upstate hospital and a large portion of North Carolina. TBC has a long-standing relationship with the Eastern North Carolina medical community through its affiliation with more than 20 hospitals in 26 counties. TBC also has a strong partnership with Vidant EastCare, which provides the critical blood supply needed to support trauma patients with on-board, O-negative units and plasma on its helicopters.

“We are honored to be able to support this community and we are grateful for each new opportunity to connect donors with recipients,” said Delisa K. English, TBC President and CEO. “We want residents to join us by donating blood that will serve friends, family and neighbors. When you give blood with The Blood Connection you are ensuring that the people of this community will have the blood products available to save their lives.”

TBC thanks Onslow Memorial and Martin General for the opportunity to serve their patients. Both hospitals embody the community-centered mentality and dedication to quality healthcare that TBC also exemplifies. Now with two more hospitals to supply, TBC will be expanding its donor collection opportunities in the Eastern North Carolina community.

“We’re looking forward to working with blood donors in this region,” English said. “This is an opportunity to serve more people, help more patients and save more lives. We’re hiring employees and recruiting donors from the local community. Please watch for our signature red blood mobile units and listen for a call from our donor recruiters.”

Every two seconds, someone in the US needs a life-saving blood transfusion and volunteer donors are the only source of blood products. Maintaining an adequate blood supply requires a delicate balancing effort that monitors available supply versus expected demand. TBC’s mission is to ensure all hospital partners have the blood supplies needed for patients at any given time. All of the blood received through donations goes right back into the communities that TBC serves. In locally-driven operations, neighbors are helping neighbors, but only through a strong partnership with the community.

TBC urges all eligible donors to donate to ensure that hospital’s needs for blood are uninterrupted. Although TBC is specifically requesting O-negative blood donations, all blood types are needed.

Donors can visit thebloodconnection.org to find a blood drive. They can also give at the local TBC donation center: 5925 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC. TBC welcomes businesses and organizations that can host a blood drive. To sponsor a blood drive, call 984-222-1100.

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

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

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!

Download Invitation

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.

Donate Blood

Vidant Health’s Partnership with TBC

Feb 25, 2019 | cBlog, Hospital, News

Vidant Health Partners with TBC

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The Blood Connection is now the blood provider for Vidant Health in Pitt County.

“We are honored to be able to support the health of people in this region, and we are grateful for each new opportunity to connect donors with recipients,” said Delisa K. English, TBC President and CEO. “We want eastern North Carolina to join us by donating blood that will serve friends, family, and neighbors. For the victim of a car crash to the cancer patient who depends on platelets, the need for volunteer blood donations is great. When you give blood to The Blood Connection, you are ensuring that the people of this community will have the blood products available to save their lives.”

TBC urges all eligible donors to donate, to help ensure that hospital needs for blood are uninterrupted. Although TBC is specifically requesting O-negative blood donations, all blood types are needed.

Brian Floyd, Vidant Health’s COO said, “I’m excited to share that The Blood Connection is now the primary supplier of blood and blood products for Vidant Health. Ultimately, Vidant’s objective is to have a self-sustaining supply of blood and The Blood Connection is committed with us to achieve this goal.

“Vidant is always focused and committed to quality, and The Blood Connection’s high standards in quality and service, were key factors in forming this new partnership. The Blood Connection is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks, the premier accreditation service for organizations involved in blood supplies, and is licensed and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Blood is collected through bloodmobiles, portable field units and fixed donation sites; all testing and processing takes place at a state-of-the-art biologics process center in Piedmont, SC. The Blood Connection’s laboratory services also help us meet the precise needs of patients.

“We are excited and supportive of The Blood Connection coming to eastern North Carolina and we look forward to working together for patients throughout the region.”