All Donors Will Receive a 'Drop It Like It's Hot' Sweatshirt During the Celebration
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In recognition of those who regularly roll up their sleeves to save lives, Kentucky Blood Center and blood banks across the country are celebrating National Blood Donor Month in January.
KBC is taking part in the celebration with a limited-edition “Drop It Like It’s Hot” crew-neck sweatshirt for all donors. The sweatshirt is available now through Jan. 25 at all KBC locations (while supplies last).
Blood donation is needed daily to support patients throughout the U.S., but the spotlight comes at a time of local need. Donations typically wane in the winter months due to illnesses and winter weather, and KBC was not immune this holiday season. A meager collection month in December has resulted in a low supply of several blood types, including A- (critical need), O- and O+ blood.
“The start of a new year and the focus on blood donation this month is a great opportunity to be a part of this important lifesaving act,” said Mandy Brajuha, vice president of external relations at KBC. “Whether you’re a first-time donor or a longtime local lifesaver, we need you. Your generosity ensures patients in Kentucky have blood products no matter what the need is.”
KBC – Kentucky’s largest independent, full-service, nonprofit blood center – relies on volunteer donors to supply lifesaving blood products to more than 70 hospitals, including UK HealthCare, Baptist Health, CHI Saint Joseph, Appalachian Regional Healthcare and more. Donated blood components are vital to a wide range of treatments, including cancer, trauma, sickle cell disease, organ transplant, surgeries and more.
Blood is unique in the healthcare ecosystem in that it cannot be synthetically made, meaning volunteers are the only way to provide blood to those in need. According to America’s Blood Centers:
- Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds.
- One in four people will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime.
- One in seven patients entering a hospital require blood to be available.
- Cancer patients use 25% of all blood donations.
- Blood transfusions are needed in one out of every 83 newborn deliveries in America today, a rate that has increased by more than 50% between 2006 and 2015.
- Only 3% of all Americans donate blood despite 62% of the population being eligible to do so.
- Just 12% of donations come from minority donors.
As people make resolutions for the new year, Kentucky Blood Center is encouraging potential donors to make the gift of life a part of their plans. Whole blood donations typically take less than an hour, and products from a single donation can save up to three lives.
KBC operates eight donor centers in six cities across Kentucky (Lexington, Louisville, Corbin, Frankfort, Pikeville and Somerset) and hosts more than 2,000 mobile drives a year in more than 90 counties. Donor centers are typically open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Specific donor center hour locations are available below and at kybloodcenter.org/donate/donor-center-locations. Mobile drives open to the public can be found at my.kybloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/county
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo I.D. and meet additional requirements. Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome.
