Ross Medical Education Center in Davison, MI recently held a blood drive with the Michigan Blood Blood Bus on their campus. It was the first time that the campus had ever hosted a blood drive, and it was a success! A total of 19 people signed in, and 13 of them were first-time donors! At the end of the the drive, 14 pints of blood had been donated. “To put these results in a fuller perspective,” said Karalee McKinstry, Donor Relations Specialist for Michigan Blood, “remember that each donated pint of blood can help as many as three people! On behalf of the people who need blood in our community, we are very grateful to everyone who took part in your drive. Please give our special thanks to all who participated.”
Michigan Blood is an independent, non-profit blood bank that serves Michigan hospitals and residents. It was founded in 1955 and today collects more than 120,000 blood donations annually. Michigan Blood works together with other members of America’s Blood Banks, a community of blood banks throughout the US, to provide half of the blood supply in the nation. According to their website, their mission is “Helping people make a lifesaving difference through blood products and service excellence.” (http://www.miblood.org/about-michigan-blood/)
Their mission rang true to members of the Davison community who donated blood, many for the first time. Kristine Furtaw, Regional Vice President, said “I appreciate Michigan Blood coming to our Ross Davison campus, we will definitely have them back again. We thank everyone who helped set this event up and those who donated blood that day.” Other students and staff also enjoyed their experience with Michigan Blood’s Blood Bus. “I recently participated in my first blood drive at Ross. The staff at Michigan Blood was fantastic. They helped put me at ease, as I had some anxiety about making my first donation. I plan on making more donations in the future,” shared Kate O’Malley, Pharmacy Technician Instructor at the Davison campus.