Eastern Arizona College joins the Red Cross to host the state’s largest blood drive

Gila Valley community urged to make a life-saving donation April 4

By Kris McBride

THATCHER — Eastern Arizona College and the American Red Cross are partnering to host the state’s largest blood drive Thursday, April 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Activities Center dining room. The entire community is invited to join this effort and make a life-saving donation.

Last November, EAC’s blood drive yielded 177 units of blood for the Red Cross, a result that outshone every other county in the state. The Red Cross needs to collect more than 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day to meet the needs of 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide. Patients rely on volunteer donors as the only source of blood for those in need of lifesaving blood transfusions. Blood collected at this drive can help ensure cancer patients, trauma victims, surgery patients and others have the blood products needed.

“We are grateful to Eastern Arizona College and the community for stepping up and rolling up a sleeve to answer the need for blood donations,” said Samantha Bivens, Red Cross Donor Recruitment account manager, Arizona Blood Services Region. “The donations received from Arizona’s largest blood drive will help save lives locally as well as nationally.”

How to donate blood

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.