DonorConnect

Blood Assurance, the non-profit regional blood center, will host a blood drive at the Brainerd Crossroads (BX) of Brainerd Baptist Church on Wednesday, March 17 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Volunteer blood donations, not paid blood collections, are the only source of blood products used for patient transfusion. Blood Assurance is the only provider of blood products for area hospitals.

The event is being held in conjunction with the Dental Angel Fund Foundation. Visitors will receive one voucher for either a teeth cleaning or one tooth extraction. The Dental Angel Fund Foundation provides emergency dental care for those in need.  These vouchers are transferable if you desire to donate your voucher to someone in need of dental care.

All donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Visitors at any blood drive during the month of March can register for an earth-friendly gift basket containing household items courtesy of Earth Fare. All donors will receive a complimentary snack and t-shirt.

For more information about donating blood, please visit www.bloodassurance.org.

Congrats to our Amazon Kindle winners!
Martha Jones – Chattanooga, TN

Ellis Humphres – Cleveland, TN

Becky Kemnitz – Silver Creek, GA

Deborah Hyde – Chattanooga, TN

Terry McCoy – Cookeville, TN

Martha Masengale – Harrison, TN

Lori Campbell – Sequatchie, TN

Kathy Shelton – Dalton, GA

Blood Assurance, the non-profit regional blood center, will host Chattanooga’s largest one-day community blood drive on Tuesday, March 30.

Bloodanooga will be held directly across from the downtown location of Blood Assurance at the UTC McKenzie Arena.

The goal of Bloodanooga is to collect 1000 units of blood in one day. Donors can give blood between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Bloodanooga was created to serve as a community-wide effort in maintaining a consistent blood supply for area hospitals. Currently, less than 10 percent of all eligible donors in the United States actually give blood.

Volunteer blood donations, not paid blood collections, are the only source of blood products used for patient transfusion. Blood Assurance is the only provider of blood products for Chattanooga’s hospitals.

“This is a fun event and we want residents to realize that the act of giving blood can be a fun, enjoyable experience,” said Linda Hisey, vice-president of marketing and public relations.

The event also features food donated by area restaurants and entertainment provided by local musicians.

In 2009, more than 1,000 residents participated in the first annual Bloodanooga, either by donating blood or volunteering at the event. The blood donations collected at Bloodanooga potentially impacted more than 2,000 area patients in need of life-saving blood transfusions.

For more information about Bloodanooga, or to make an appointment, please visit www.bloodanooga.org.

The Blood Assurance Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2010 Crystal Green Memorial Scholarship. Applications for the one-time $1,500 scholarship must be postmarked no later than March 31.

Applications are available to any high school senior whose school participates in Project Lifeline, a series of Blood Assurance blood drives hosted at local schools. Eligibility is not based on blood donations.

The scholarship was established in 1999 in memory of Crystal Green, who suffered from aplastic anemia. She received several blood transfusions throughout her life and underwent a bone marrow transplant. She lost her battle in 1998 at the age of 21. The following year, Crystal’s family and the staff at Blood Assurance established the scholarship in her memory.

To be eligible for the Crystal Green Memorial Scholarship, students must have a “B” average or higher and score at least a 20 on the ACT or 1100 on the SAT.

Since its inception in 1999, the Blood Assurance Foundation has awarded almost 100 scholarships to area high school seniors. This year, 12 scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $1,500 each.

Applications are available online at www.bloodassurance.org or by calling Blood Assurance at (800) 962-0628 ext. 134.