Solidarity is theme of Thursday’s World Blood Donor Day

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DAYTON – Community Blood Center will join blood service organizations around the globe in the celebration of World Blood Donor Day on Thursday.

The 2018 theme focuses on blood donations as an act of solidarity with the slogan, “Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life.”

WBDD is an opportunity to thank blood donors for helping save lives and strongly encourage more people to donate.

CBC is a member of America’s Blood Centers, the nation’s largest network of independent blood centers.

America’s Blood Centers has taken the theme of solidarity to heart this year by securing congressional support for blood donations on the one-year anniversary of the shooting at a congressional baseball practice. U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) was severely injured and required several blood transfusions. He credits blood donors for saving his life.

Members of the Republican and Democrat congressional baseball teams have sent a letter to fellow members of Congress encouraging them “to visit their local community blood center during the recess the week after June 14 to learn more about the continuous need for blood donation and to support their life-saving work.”

ABC is helping connect members of congress with their district’s blood centers and offering assistance with arranging visits.

Rep. Stephen Huffman (R-Tipp City) is a regular visitor to CBC because he is a life-long blood donor. He is also an emergency room physician and chairman of the House Health Committee. In 2017 he introduced House Bill 252 to designate January as “Blood Donor Awareness Month” in Ohio. Gov. John Kasich signed it into law on Feb. 8.

Rep. Huffman will join CBC in a campaign recognizing the first celebration of Ohio Blood Donor Awareness Month in January 2019.

The World Health Organization chose the 2018 World Blood Donor Day theme of solidarity to highlight the fundamental values of altruism, respect, empathy and kindness, which underline and sustain voluntary unpaid blood donation systems. The goal is to draw attention to the roles that voluntary donation systems play in encouraging people to care for one another and generate social ties and a united community.

Connect with Community Blood Center for the latest information and services at www.GivingBlood.org. Get fast and complete answers on how to make your first donation, organize a blood drive or bring Community Blood Center’s education program to your school. Get all the updates in the CBC/CTS newsroom, find quick links to Community Blood Center’s social media pages or schedule an appointment to donate by connecting to www.DonorTime.com.

Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors also are asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at CBC branch & blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (donors may have to weigh more, depending on their height) and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions are invited to email [email protected] or call 1(800)388-GIVE. Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.

Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Community Blood Center provides blood products to 25 hospitals and health centers within a 15-county service area in the Miami (Ohio) and Whitewater (Indiana) Valleys.

For more information about Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services, visit www.givingblood.org.

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