Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is working to increase
blood donors - and in particular African-American donors - to help
treat area sickle cell patients.
This effort is part of CBCC's new Sickle Cell Program aimed at
creating a registry of African-American volunteer donors whose blood
type and traits are matched with a local sickle cell patient.
"There is a real value and need for this program in our community,"
said Martin Grable, president and CEO of the Community Blood Center of
the Carolinas. "Nationally, the number of African-Americans who need
blood transfusions exceeds the number of African-Americans who donate
blood. The same is true in our own community where we simply do not
have enough local African-American donors to meet local patient needs."
Studies show that one in 500 African-Americans are born with sickle
cell anemia each year. Although sickle cell is not unique to African-
Americans, it is more frequently diagnosed in the African-American
patient population in the U.S. While blood-type compatibility is not
determined by race, select rare blood types more generally found in
African-Americans are needed to support sickle cell patients.
Research also shows that more than half of all persons with sickle
cell will require a blood transfusion in their lifetime and the
majority will require multiple transfusions, using an average of four
units per month.
Grable added, "These blood donations are necessary to support local
sickle cell patients who need our help."
In addition, CBCC is teaming up with various organizations throughout
the region to host blood drives in honor of Sickle Cell Awareness
Month. The following is a list of Sickle Cell Awareness Blood Drives.
More drives can be found at www.carolinadonor.org.
September 6
Doctors of America
727 West Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
11:00 am ‑ 2:00 pm
September 7
MAS of Charlotte
4301 Shamrock Drive
Charlotte, NC 28215
2:00 pm ‑ 5:00 pm
September 8
Logan Ministries
184 Booker St SW
Concord, NC 28026
11:00 am 3:00 pm
September 15
Grace AME Zion Church
3722 David Cox Road
Charlotte, NC 28269
10:00 am ‑ 12:00 pm
September 22
Sickle Cell Partners of the Carolinas
4447 South Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28209
10:00 am ‑ 2:00 pm
September 29
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
3301 Statesville Road
Charlotte, NC 28206
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
September 29
Mt Calvary Baptist Church
422 Carolina Avenue
Shelby, NC 28150
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
September 29
First Calvary
623 Crawford Road
Rock Hill, SC 29730
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
September 30
Ebenezer Baptist Church
2020 W. Sugar Creek Road
Charlotte, NC 28262
9:30 am ‑ 1:30 pm
Anyone 16 and older who weighs at least 120 pounds is encouraged to
donate at one of the five CBCC centers located in Charlotte, Concord,
Gastonia, Hickory and Monroe or at one of CBCC's many mobile blood
drives, which can be found at www.carolinadonor.org. For more
information or to make an appointment, call 704-972-4700. For
organizations, businesses, churches and schools interested in
sponsoring a blood drive, contact Kim Jones at 704-972-4727.
About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas
The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is a non-profit
community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to 21
regional hospitals, serving 16 North Carolina and three South Carolina
counties. CBCC focuses exclusively on gathering red blood cells,
platelets and plasma from volunteer donors to save local lives –
every drop of blood collected remains here to help people in the
Carolinas. CBCC is a member of America's Blood Centers, North
America's largest network of community-based, independent blood
centers providing more than 50% of the nation's blood supply.
For more information on hosting a blood drive or donating blood in
your area, visit www.cbcc.us or call 704-972-4700.
Follow the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BloodCenter
and on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/CBCCarolinas.
