Blood drive'breaks all records'

Published 2:32 pm Tuesday, December 6, 2005

MOULTRIE — The Fourth Annual Communities That Care blood drive, held Thursday at Moultrie’s First Presbyterian Church, netted 249 donors and 209 usable units.

“Colquitt County’s people can be proud of the fact that more than 700 lives will be affected,” said Lee Russell, blood services local chairman. “This drive breaks all records.”

Because donated blood is broken down into different components, some units of blood can benefit four different people. Each unit of donated blood is divided into red cells, platelets and plasma, with some units being further broken down to white cells.

“They have only been breaking units into four components for the last few months,” said Russell.

Thursday’s drive began at 1 p.m., and for the early hours, 1-3 p.m., it “was wild up there,” Russell said. During that time every chair provided for those waiting to donate was filled.

Fourteen Red Cross volunteers, including a blind volunteer, were on hand to assist with the blood drive. The volunteers greeted donors and escorted the them to the refreshment area after they had given blood. Red Cross staff members came from Valdosta and Daytona, Fla., to assist with the drive.

As at most drives, more beds were brought in about two hours after the drive began. In the future, additional beds “will be brought in sooner to accommodate the donors,” said Russell.

The annual Communities That Care drive is held every August. This year’s drive was sponsored by The Moultrie Observer.

— By Jennifer Terry