The Ashland Service Center partnered with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive to help address the critical blood supply shortages affecting the region. The event drew more than 30 participants, highlighting employees’ commitment to helping the community and improving health and wellness. In total, the Red Cross was able to collect about 25 units of blood during this event.
Miranda Guy, administrative assistant and blood drive organizer, said many employees who had signed up to donate were in the field all day, tied up in storm work after a severe thunderstorm impacted Greenup County yesterday afternoon causing more than 6,000 outages.
"Still, our employees stepped up," Guy said. "Even some who were working on storm restoration took their break here so they could donate. I think this shows that our employees really understand the impact that a single pint of blood can have on someone’s life.”
According to the Red Cross, the United States faces a severe blood shortage, with the organization reporting a 10% drop in overall blood donations since the beginning of the year and getting donations during the summer months when schools are out can be particularly challenging.
"Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood," said Mary O'Connor, spokesperson for the American Red Cross, in a press release. “A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our country — and its availability can be the difference between life and death, however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate.”
Blood supply donations – which are essential for surgeries, cancer treatments, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries – ensure that hospitals can continue to provide critical care.
“I recently learned through working with the Red Cross that each donation can potentially save up to three lives,” Guy said. “That means the effort we made here today can actually make a big impact on addressing medical emergencies and improving outcomes for many. I’m proud we were able to support the Red Cross in their mission to save lives.”