For immediate use
UNC-Chapel Hill aims to top 830 pints at June 7 blood drive
Tar Heel community invited to bleed Carolina blue at annual summer event
Donor Elise Dilday ‘15 gives blood at the Carolina Blood Drive.
(Chapel Hill, N.C. – June 1, 2016) – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the American Red Cross aim to collect 830 pints of blood at the 28th annual Carolina Blood Drive, taking place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 7 in the Dean E. Smith Center. If this year’s blood drive achieves its goal, it will push Carolina’s 28-year total to more than 25,000 pints collected.
Since 1988, Carolina blood drives have generated thousands of pints of blood for the local community and beyond. Each pint of blood can help save up to three lives, underscoring the significant impact of these donations.
Sponsored by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Employee Forum, the Carolina Blood Drive comes at an important time for the Red Cross. Blood donations often decline in the summer months when high schools and colleges are on summer break and many regular donors go on vacation. Patient need, however, is continual and the blood supply must be replenished constantly to ensure blood is available when it is needed.
Robin Cyr, Carolina’s associate vice chancellor for research compliance, is especially aware of the need for donors. In November 2015, she was rushed to the emergency room after a gastrointestinal bleed caused her to lose a significant amount of blood. Cyr needed a blood transfusion, but required a special blood type. Her doctors rushed to find a match.
“When you realize that you are in critical need of blood, you want the supply to be available. In a health crisis, when every moment counts, waiting may not be an option,” Cyr said. “I am so grateful a match was found for me.”
Campus and community members are invited to support the Carolina Blood Drive. All presenting donors will receive a T-shirt and refreshments. Free parking is available at the Smith Center.
How to donate blood
To make an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code UNC.
All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years old (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are generally in good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years old or younger must also meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.
-Carolina-
About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 113 master’s, 68 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty – including two Nobel laureates – staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 308,000 alumni live in all 50 states and 150 countries. More than 167,000 live in North Carolina.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, visit redcross.org, cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
Carolina Blood Drive committee contact: Rhonda Beatty (919) 843-6993, rbeatty@unc.edu
Red Cross contact: Krystal Overmyer (803) 446-7743, krystal.overmyer@redcross.org
Communications and Public Affairs contact: MC VanGraafeiland (919) 962-7090, mc.vangraafeiland@unc.edu