Library "Draws Blood" in Competition with Neighbor

This might be the season for giving thanks, but two local libraries hope their communities will help make it a season for giving blood, as well. Post Road Library, a branch of the Forsyth County Public Library, and the neighboring Milton Library, a branch of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, will host a blood drive challenge on Wednesday, November 29 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Each branch will host its own blood drive with the American Red Cross and the total number of pints donated will be tallied at the end of the event. The branch with the most blood donated will win the challenge, and the bragging rights.

“We’re so grateful to our patrons for their support of our blood drive programs. We hope others in our community will stop by the library, check out a book, and settle in to help someone in need with a life-giving blood donation…and help us beat the Milton Library. We’d really like to win those bragging rights,” exclaims Decherd.

Even though the challenge is a bit of lighthearted fun between local libraries, the need for blood donations is serious.

“Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood,” said Cheryl Mahan, donor recruitment account manager, American Red Cross Southern Blood Services Region.

“Blood donations are needed every day for patients with many serious medical conditions. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer, or sickle cell disease may all need blood.”

“As a national network, the Red Cross has a unique responsibility to help ensure blood is available for patients whenever and wherever it is needed. By donating blood through the Red Cross, donors may be helping patients in their community or patients across the nation,” added Mahan.

American Red Cross blood donations go to hospitals and medical facilities to help those organizations save lives and care for their patients. Donating blood is a simple four-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation, and refreshments.

“Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor's temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood. The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 minutes,” explains Mahan.

Decherd invites all members of the Forsyth community to consider giving blood at the Post Road Library’s blood drive, especially those who have never donated before.

“This blood drive challenge is a perfect opportunity for someone who hasn’t donated blood to learn about the process. You can make it a date with your special someone or think of it as a little ‘me-time’ as you pay it forward and help a patient who needs life-giving blood.”

“While winning the challenge would be wonderful, the ultimate goal for both libraries is to educate the public about the on-going need for blood donations and to make it more convenient for patrons and visitors to donate blood,” says Decherd.

For more information on the donation process, please visit www.redcrossblood.org. For more information on upcoming blood drives and other programs at Forsyth County Public Library, please visit www.forsythpl.org.