Special to the WJH
The monthly Red Cross Waycross community blood drive is at hand, and givers of “The Gift of Life” are encouraged to donate and to “bring a friend,” said Tina Ethridge, Red Cross blood services manager.
“We’re entering the summer vacation period and that usually means donations slump,” she said. “We’re already dealing with a blood supply shortage so we certainly could use each and every contribution.”
The May blood drive at the Waycross Exchange Club Fairgrounds, 2401 Knight Avenue, brings some noteworthy changes to be considered.
Because of the Memorial Day holiday landing on the fourth Monday, the drive has been moved up one week to May 18. And beginning this month, the hours of the drive are now 10 a.m. through 4 p.m.
“Because of Red Cross staffing issues, we’ve had to shorten the drive by two hours,” said Ethridge. “We know this inconveniences several blood donors who have preferred coming between 4 and 6 o’clock, but we just don’t have enough staff to cover an eighthour drive.”
She said she hopes the faithful late afternoon donors will be able to adjust their schedules to arrive earlier in the day, and pleads with employers to allow workers to allow them to leave the job early enough to donate blood.
The Red Cross is ushering in the summer beach season by giving blood donors a beach towel when they complete their donation on Monday.
“These are nice oversized beach towels,” Ethridge said. “Just a small way of saying ‘thank you.’” The Waycross Area Blood Drive Volunteers have recruited Music Funeral Home as May’s blood drive corporate sponsor.
“Music has been generous to help us in the past and we’re really appreciative of their community service,” said Gary Griffin, one of the volunteers. “Their contribution allows us to give away hundreds of dollars in prize money to random lucky donors. The grand prize will be $100.”
Donors also will have the chance to win gift certificates from Captain Joe’s and Sanders Honey Company.
Domino’s Pizza and Waycross Coca-Cola have for years supplied refreshments for the donors to enjoy at the monthly drives, and the Red Cross also supplies snacks.
“Waycross has been the top blood drive in Georgia for a number of years,” Griffin said. “We want to keep our standing. It might be hard to do with the drive hours being cut so we’re sending out a plea for new donors … additional donors who maybe haven’t ever given before.
“If we can maintain our average of 105 donors a month, that would be great!”
