Lifeblood celebrated its 6th annual Donor Fest Saturday by encouraging donors from Bartlett, Arlington, Lakeland and other areas throughout the Midsouth to keep donating blood or platelets through the critical summer months.
The non-profit blood center set a goal of seeing 1,963 donors in honor of the year the organization was founded. During Donor Fest week, 1,591 people answered the call to donate.
The week ended with a celebration event designed to thank Lifeblood’s donors Saturday at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School. The event highlighted Lifeblood’s donors as well as World Blood Donor Day.
World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products. The special day is also a chance to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
The celebration included breakfast from Chick-fil-A, sno-cones, balloon animals, face painting, kids’ activities and recognition of 557 All-Star donors — those who have donated six or more times since Donor Fest 2014.
More than 288 people participated in the human blood drop on the high school’s soccer field, including Lifeblood employees, donors, families and volunteers.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome of Donor Fest 2015,” said Susan Berry-Buckley, president and CEO of Lifeblood. “We are humbled by the selflessness of our donors, and we truly appreciate the life-saving gift of blood they continually provide to patients in need in our community. This celebration is our chance to honor them for their generosity they exhibit throughout the year.”
Located in the heart of the Memphis medical district (1040 Madison Avenue), Lifeblood is the leading provider of blood and blood components to area hospitals, supplying more than 100,000 units for local patient transfusions each year.
Through its neighborhood donor centers and full schedule of mobile blood drives, Lifeblood provides opportunities to donate blood throughout the year. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.lifeblood.org or call 1-888-LIFEBLOOD.
