Bowie Rotary is hosting a blood drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 at Wellington State Bank, 311 W. Wilbarger St., in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment call Brent Shaw at (940) 531-2190.
To reduce wait times, donation appointments are encouraged and blood donors can complete the medical history questionnaire online on the day of donation, before arriving to give blood. This helps manage “social distancing.” Donors and staff are required to wear masks; and surfaces are cleaned between each donor.
Giving blood includes four easy steps and it takes about an hour to complete a whole blood donation. It is safe to give blood, even in the midst of a pandemic.
This sounds simple, but nothing about 2020 is simple anymore. There is a surge in positive COVID-19 test results and hospitalizations; other surgeries and hospitalizations continue as well. There are hundreds of patients daily that will require blood transfusions. It is also true that the blood supply, locally and nationally, is more unstable than it has been in decades.
In order to find additional ways of meeting these challenges Carter BloodCare is hosting the Spirit of Giving SUV giveaway, courtesy of The Thompson Group Classic Chevrolet Fleet and Commercial.
Thanks to the generosity of this community partner, blood donors who give with Carter BloodCare Dec. 1, 2020 through Jan.10, 2021 will be entered into a drawing for a 2020 Chevrolet Trax. Blood donors are altruistic volunteers – giving of themselves to save lives and not expecting something in return.
This effort to insure a healthy blood supply through the holiday season is an unexpected opportunity for blood donors to be the recipient of a new SUV in the New Year.
Carter BloodCare continues to offer COVID-19 antibody testing on successful donations, for a limited time. Donors can retrieve their results within one to two weeks through a secure portal on the blood center’s website that donors set up following a donation.
Potential blood donors may volunteer beginning at age 16 with parental consent; 17-year-olds may give independently and there is no upper age limit for donating blood. For more information on donor eligibility and to make an appointment, call 1-800-366-2834 or visit carterbloodcare.org.