Community Members Come Together to Help Save Lives with Blood Donations
With it being the season of giving, what better way to give back than to donate blood and help save lives? Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) did just that on Monday, November 8, by teaming up with American Red Cross to host a community Recess and blood drive!
Community members stopped by The Clubhouse to participate in our Recess: Red Cross Blood Drive, which included an informational session around blood donation and types. Prior to the participants giving blood, they were asked the following questions:
Do you know your blood type?
Which blood type is the most common?
Which blood type is the most sought after by the American Red cross?
Which blood type is the most sought after for platelets?
So, how did they fare? While most people knew their blood type, that’s pretty much where the correct answers stopped. Only 15 percent of people knew the most common blood type and most sought after, and a shocking 8 percent knew the blood type most sought after for platelets.
When donors completed their session, they stayed to mingle and enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, which helped stabilize their blood sugar and fluid levels. That’s when we dropped some serious knowledge on them:
Q: Which blood type is the most common?
A: Blood type O is the most common blood type, whether it is O Positive or O Negative.
Q: Which blood type is the most sought after by American Red Cross?
A: Type O Negative is the most universal and sought after, especially for emergency/trauma patients.
Q: Which blood type is the most sought after for platelets?
A: Type A Positive is the most ideal for platelets. However, there are several other blood types that are also heavily sought after.
And to thank the amazing attendees for giving blood, each received a $10 Amazon gift card and were also entered into a national drawing to win a nine-night trip for two to Hawaii! However, it was unanimous that the best gift of all was knowing that their selfless contributions would help amp up blood supply levels, which have been dangerously low.
Would you be interested in attending a future blood drive at The Clubhouse? Let us know in the comments below.