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Donors needed for 60th anniversary celebration blood drive

The Coffee County Rescue Squad will host a blood drive as part of its 60th anniversary community celebration Saturday, May 27 at the Southern Family Market parking lot in Manchester.

The blood drive is in partnership with Blood Assurance, will be from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

“When there are emergencies that we work with, we have extractions, we have to get people out of the water, and they may need blood,” Coffee County Rescue Squad volunteer Marsha Logue said. “It is just a way of helping our community to make sure we have a good supply of blood available for folks in our area that need it.”

Max Winitz of Blood Assurance said the blood bank is in dire need of blood donations, particularly from donors with O+, O-, A+, A- and B- blood types.

“We are a local organization, we are based in Tennessee,” he said. “When you donate here it stays here. Folks who donate at any blood drive in Manchester, that blood is going to benefit the patients being treated at Unity Medical Center.”

Winitz said Blood Assurance, which is based in Chattanooga, collects blood for more than 70 medical facilities in the region and is the sole supplier of blood and blood products to Manchester’s Unity Medical Center.

The upcoming summer season is a difficult time for blood banks, due to high schools and colleges being out for the summer. That particular group accounts for up to 15% of all blood donations received.

“Right now it is kind of a perfect storm,” Winitz said. “Right now we just don’t have a lot of appointments on our books and school is still going on.”

Logue said The Coffee County Rescue Squad needs between at least 15 and 20 people to volunteer to donate blood during the event.

Prior to donating blood, it is recommended that donors eat a full meal, bring a photo ID, avoid energy drinks and drink plenty of water.

“You will go through a physical with our phlebotomist,” Winitz said. “They will check your blood pressure, your hemoglobin level and go through the lest of medications that would defer you from donating, but you are going to know right then and there at the appointment if you are okay to move forward with getting stuck with a needle.”

Winitz said while he understands most people are not thrilled with the idea of a needle, he encourages people to think about how much good their donation can do for someone else.

“One little pinch can make such a huge difference in somebody’s life and with a single blood donation, that donation can save three lives in the community,” he said.

For more information or to sign up to donate blood, call 615-218-0732 or visit bloodassurance.org/coffeecounty.