Trooper Tracy standing in front of the Blood Center for Bleed Blue Drive
Published by Kirby Winn on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 in Archive
(January 6, 2020 | Springfield, Illinois) – Donors who give blood with Central Illinois Community Blood Center are invited to take part in the National “Bleed Blue” Blood Drive during the first full week of January. Coinciding with Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Thursday, Jan. 9, donors who give at the Springfield Donor Center will be invited to complete an “I Bleed for _______” sign and to post photos of their donation to social media using the hashtag #BleedBlue. Tagged images will be shared on the Blood Center’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. CICBC has also activated a #BleedBlue filter on SnapChat at its Donor Centers for the week of Jan. 6-11.
For information on opportunities to donate at a nearby Donor Center or upcoming mobile blood drive, please call (800) 747-5401, schedule online through www.bloodcenterimpact.org, or use the Blood Center’s mobile app (links to download at www.bloodcenter.org/app). Donors can credit their donation to the #BleedBlue campaign by using code 71174 when registering to give blood at their Donor Center.
Sgt. Tracy Lillard, known as “Trooper Tracy” for her work on Illinois State Police social media accounts, reflected on first responders who have been injured in the line of duty: “Blood donation has sustained the lives of our troopers who have been hit. This is such a wonderful way to show support for law enforcement, by donating something you truly can’t repay.” (For more of Trooper Tracy’s interview, see https://youtu.be/XUtdZ6eNOB8).
The January 9 Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is organized by COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors). COPS has organized the National “Bleed Blue” Blood Drive to pay tribute to members of law enforcement and the role transfusion medicine plays in treating victims of trauma.
“Police officers are ‘on the scene’ of traffic accidents and other incidents involving injuries or trauma with blood loss,” said Jim Watts, Donor Relations Manager. “They work with paramedics to get injured persons to hospitals, and those individuals are frequently treated with blood transfusions.”
During the week of Jan. 6 - 11, donors who give blood at MVRBC Donor Centers will have the opportunity to honor law enforcement by completing an “I Bleed Blue for _____” sticker and by posting photos to social media accounts with the hasthtag #BleedBlue. (MVRBC will retweet and re-post photos using the hashtag.)
Donors may credit their donation to the #BleedBlue campaign by using group code 71174 whey they register to give blood. In addition, all presenting donors will receive a voucher for a $10 gift card to Casey’s General Stores, Amazon, or Starbucks, double points to use in the Donor Loyalty Store, and automatic entry in the Blood Center’s region-wide $250 "Critical Week" Visa gift card drawing.
Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to one hour. A photo I.D. or MVRBC Donor Card is required to donate. All persons age 17 and up (or 16, with a signed parental permission form) who weigh at least 110 lbs. and are in general good health meet the basic eligibility requirements for blood donation.
About Central Illinois Community Blood Center
Central Illinois Community Blood Center, a not-for-profit organization, is the provider of life-saving blood for 14 hospitals throughout central Illinois, including Memorial Medical Center and HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. A division of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC), Central Illinois Community Blood Center and MVRBC collect more than 180,000 units of blood annually and serve more than 100 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
The 501(c)(3) not-for-profit blood center was established in 1974 and operates as Central Illinois Community Blood Center (Springfield, Illinois) and Community Blood Services of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana, Illinois). The Blood Center’s service region extends from southwestern Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri and from Danville, Illinois to Chariton, Iowa, an area with a population of more than 4-million residents.
For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org and visit the Blood Center’s social media channels: https://www.facebook.com/CICBC, www.twitter.com/willyougive, www.youtube.com/MVRBC, and www.instagram.com/willyougive/.
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- blood drive