MTSU is hosting a spring blood drive noon to 6 p.m. April 8 in Room 322 inside the Keathley University Center, located at 1524 Military Memorial Drive in the center of campus.
A campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap. Off-campus donors can obtain a special one-day permit at www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php.
This blood drive, sponsored by the university’s Department of Health and Human Performance, is open to MTSU students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and neighbors across Middle Tennessee. Each donor will receive a T-shirt as thanks for her or his lifesaving help.
Donors can make an April 8 appointment today by visiting here, use the new “American Red Cross Blood” app, or text “BLOODAPP” to 90999. Walk-in donors also are welcome.
The Heart of Tennessee chapter of the American Red Cross is asking for eligible donors of all types to help rebuild local — and national — blood supplies reduced by winter weather-related blood drive cancellations.
People with type O blood — the “universal donor” — are especially needed. Platelet donors also are being asked to give to help patients fighting cancer.
Each unit of blood can help three different patients.
Blood donated at MTSU can help neighbors in all 17 counties the Heart of Tennessee chapter serves: Rutherford, Bedford, Cannon, Clay, Coffee, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Overton, Marshall, Moore, Pickett, Putnam, VanBuren, Warren and White counties.
Blood products also can be shared with the rest of Tennessee’s 95 counties, people in Arkansas and Mississippi, and nationwide if necessary.
MTSU donors can save time on donation day by filling out the Red Cross’s required health questionnaire online, using the Red Cross’s “Rapid Pass”, on April 8 before donating.
The American Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 blood donations each day nationwide to help accident victims, surgery patients, organ transplant patients and those being treated for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.
The Tennessee Valley region needs 500 blood donations every day to serve patients in area hospitals.
For more information about donating blood for the American Red Cross, visit http://redcrossblood.org anytime.
