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Published by Kirby Winn on Thursday, January 16, 2020 in News Releases

(January 17, 2020 | Davenport, Iowa) – Donors who give blood with Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center are invited to take part in the National “MLK Day of Service” on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 20). To participate, donors giving blood at MVRBC Donor Centers and mobile blood drives are asked to post photos of their donation to social media, using the hashtag #MLKDay and #DayofService. The Blood Center will re-post and re-tweet these images on social media platforms. 

MLK Day graphicTo schedule an appointment for blood donation at an MVRBC Donor Center or mobile blood drive, please call (800) 747-5401, schedule online through www.bloodcenterimpact.org, or use MVRBC’s mobile app (links to download at www.bloodcenter.org/app). 

Legislation signed in 1983 marked the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a federal holiday. In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Each year, on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is observed as a “day on, not a day off.” MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a “Beloved Community.” (For more information, see https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlk-day-service.) 

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 Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center

MVRBC serves more than 100 hospitals  in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin, as well as resource sharing partners across the country. The 501(c)(3) not-for-profit blood center, was established in 1974 and operates as Central Illinois Community Blood Center (Springfield, Ill.) and Community Blood Services of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana, Ill.). 

The MVRBC service region extends from Madison, Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri and from Danville, Ill. to Chariton, Iowa, an area with a population of more than four million residents. For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org and visit the Blood Center’s social media channels: www.facebook.com/MVRBC, www.twitter.com/willyougive, www.youtube.com/MVRBC, and www.instagram.com/willyougive/. 

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About The Author

Kirby Winn

Kirby Winn serves as Manager, Public Relations for ImpactLife. He enjoys working with media across the blood center's service region to share the stories of patients who have been helped by the generous volunteers who support our mission.

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