Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Pat Peacock

 

 

AMERICUS – South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross on Tuesday, November 10 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The blood drive will be held in the Hicks Hall student union on the Americus campus, and all eligible donors are encouraged to participate.

Due to COVID-19 safety concerns, appointments are required in order to donate blood. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: SGTC, or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

All donors will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies, and results will be available through the Red Cross App and redcrossblood.org in 7-10 days.

By taking a moment from your day to donate, you may be giving someone else a chance at life. A single blood donation can be separated into components, which can actually help more than one person. Accident victims and surgery and anemia patients can benefit from red blood cells, and platelets help with blood clot and are often used for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Also, plasma is often used to treat patients suffering from burns, shock, or bleeding disorders.

Most healthy people can give blood every 56 days. In order to give blood, an individual must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good general health. Donors are encouraged to get a good night’s sleep the night before donating, eat a well-balanced meal, and drink lots of fluids prior to donating.