Sheldon Police Department, SCAT, Fire Department and EMA will compete to see which department can recruit the most blood donors for the community’s blood supply during the 13th Annual “Heroes Behind the Badges”.
This fun and friendly competition between the departments will be held on Monday, February 24 from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Sheldon Chamber and Development building. The public is encouraged to designate their blood donation in honor of the department of their choice. The department with the most donations will receive the traveling trophy and bragging rights for the year. All who donate will receive a special blood donor t-shirt.
“This winter event has impacted hundreds of patients’ lives at Sanford Sheldon Medical Center throughout the years. During this time of year, blood supplies are at their lowest point and can be extremely difficult to maintain an adequate blood supply for the community,” states Ken Versteeg, Executive Director, Community Blood Bank. “With the cold and flu season upon us, less people are eligible to give blood. We also see an increase in travel accidents creating a high need for blood products, data shows a steady increase in usage as we go through the winter season. This challenge between the departments provides the public a chance to say “thank you” to the Police Department / SCAT and Fire Department / EMA personnel and make a significant impact in many lives in the community.”
Every three seconds someone needs blood, and the only way to ensure that those needs are met is to rely on volunteer donors to donate blood. The need for local blood donors is immense. The Community Blood Bank supplies over 550 units of blood each week to people in the region. Among those who benefit from donated blood are trauma and burn victims, cancer patients and persons undergoing surgery.
Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with a signed parent consent form), weigh 110 lbs or more and be in good general health. It is recommended that a person eat and drink plenty of fluids prior to donating blood. Please bring an ID with you at the time of donation. For more information log onto www.cbblifeblood.org, call Community Blood Bank at 1-877-877-3070 or call Sheldon Chamber and Development at 712-324-2813.
Community Blood Bank is not affiliated with other blood bank organizations and takes pride in being a self-sufficient organization, thanks to the generosity of our local blood donors.
