Red Cross joins the UNC-Chapel Hill community for 18th annual Holiday Carolina Blood Drive
CHAPEL HILL, NC (Dec. 2, 2016) — The American Red Cross and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are teaming up once again to give time and memories to patients in need this season at the 18th annual Holiday Carolina Blood Drive. This year’s drive is 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, December 13 at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Fetzer Hall on South Road. Presenting donors will receive a long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. UNC students, faculty and community members who give blood will ensure hospital patients continue to receive treatment over the holidays.
Sponsored by the Employee Forum, the blood drive supports the Red Cross in its lifesaving mission of making blood available for those in need including heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients and those receiving treatment for leukemia. Donations often decline between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, but patients don’t get a holiday from needing blood – right now, every two seconds someone needs blood in the U.S. Giving blood is an easy way to impact the community and make a difference in someone’s life.
“UNC students, faculty and staff have supported the Carolina Blood Dive for many years because we understand the importance of fulfilling the university’s mission to serve our community,” said Jim Fuller, chair of the blood drive planning committee and a member of the Employee Forum. “We hope the Carolina community will come out in full force to help us reach our goal of 400 pints of blood. That will help a lot of people this holiday season and would be a great way to show how much we care about our community.”
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. Free parking is available in Cobb Deck off Country Club Road.
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 of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to 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 and follow the instructions on the site.
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, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
UNC/ Carolina Blood Drive committee media contact: Rhonda Beatty, 919-843-6993, rbeatty@unc.edu
Red Cross media contact: Alyson Barraza, 781-366-4635, @ARCBloodCAR, redcrossblood.org