Special to the WJH
There will be cash door prizes aplenty awarded to lucky participants at this month’s Waycross Community Blood Drive.
The drive will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, April 28 at the Waycross Exchange Club building at the fairgrounds, 2401 Knight Avenue.
The Red Cross drive’s corporate sponsor this month is Primesouth Bank in Waycross.
“Primesouth has been our April sponsor for many years now, and their generosity is unsurpassed,” said Gary Griffin, a Waycross Area Blood Drive Volunteer. “They are community-minded, particularly when there is a need such as ours.”
Every donation is critically needed and will be sincerely appreciated as the emergency blood supply crisis continues in the region and across the nation.
Griffin said southeast Georgia is noted for good blood donation participation, however, “there's always room for improvement.”
“Those who last donated at our drive in February are eligible to give again in April, so we’re anticipating another good month — 100 units or more.”
Primesouth’s contribution means there will be a $100 door prize to be won at random by a donor. Many other cash prizes, including $50s and $20s, also will be given away, thanks to Primesouth.
“The late Al Jacobson recruited Primesouth as one of our first corporate blood drive sponsors many years ago,” Griffin said. “And the bank has always been eager to serve us through the years every spring.”
Waycross is the top monthly recurring blood drive in Georgia.
“We’d like to keep it that way, but we've been declining a little bit in recent months and years,” Griffin said.
He said only about three percent of the population ever donates blood in their lifetime.
“There is nothing to it, once they make the plunge,” said Griffin.
Griffin said those who would like to give blood but are ineligible due to medical reasons might consider becoming a blood drive volunteer.
“We’re the Waycross Area Blood Drive Volunteers ... a separate entity from the Red Cross,” he said. “We just mainly welcome the donors and help them sign in. Then after they give we invite them to enjoy a bottle of water or fruit juice and a snack. It’s easy being a volunteer.
“If you’d like to pop in on Monday just to give us a look, please do. We'll be happy to see you.”
