Blood drives save lives

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jose L. Leon
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  McConnell Airmen participated in a blood drive Nov. 30, 2012 at the Robert J. Dole Community Center.

McConnell hosts a blood drive every 56 days. This is how much time a donor has to wait in order to be eligible to donate blood again.

"Our goal is 110 units of blood today at McConnell," said Jennifer Green, American Red Cross donor recruitment representative. "A unit of blood is not cheap, there is only one source."

The Veterans Affairs hospital is credited one unit of blood for every five units of blood donated in the name of McConnell. For every five people that donate blood on base, the VA gets one unit of blood that they don't have to pay for.

One unit of blood is the amount that can be safely collected from most people. It equals about 12 ounces.

"We are always in need of blood," said Melissa Brockman, American Red Cross volunteer. "This is one of the ways people can help; the blood you give could save three people."

One Airman donor was glad to be able to provide a unit of blood, potentially helping three people.

"I'm really glad to be able to support a good cause," said Senior Airman Braxton Rowe, 22nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental engineering flight journeyman. "This is something that only takes me a few minutes to do and can save someone's life"

The American Red Cross has been collecting blood since 1941 and will be holding the next drive on base Feb. 9, 2013.