AMERICUS — South Georgia Technical College’s (SGTC) Americus campus hosted a blood drive in collaboration with the American Red Cross recently, bringing in seven more units of blood than the anticipated daily goal. A total of 25 units of blood were donated to the Red Cross during the drive, which accounted for a 139 percent increase on the day.
Students, faculty and staff members as well as community members attended the drive to donate blood. Practical nursing instructors Christine Rundle and Jennifer Childs were on hand with their students to assist with the event and gain experience.
According to the American Red Cross, blood donations can help cancer patients, trauma patients, sickle cell patients, burn patients and patients with chronic diseases. Donations can also be separated into components, which can help more than one person. Currently there is a great need for blood donations.
Most healthy individuals can donate blood every 56 days. In order to be eligible to give, the donor must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health. Donors are also encouraged to eat a well-balanced meal and drink a lot of fluids prior to donating.
South Georgia Tech is scheduled to hold two more blood drives this year — one on Sept. 11 and the other on Nov. 27. The Sept. 11 drive comes 17 years after the 9/11 tragedy, and will go along with that theme.
For more information on blood donation, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (448-3543). To schedule an appointment to donate, visit www.redcrossblood.org.