Monetary donations are not always what's needed for saving the world. Sometimes, the answers lies skin deep. Tuesday morning, the Turlock branch of AAA partnered with the Delta Blood Bank to hold a blood drive for community members and AAA employees off Hotel Drive in Turlock.
The AAA Turlock Blood Drive hoped to garner attention for the cause, and relay more customers for the Delta Blood Center. A mobile truck was parked just outside the facility, and featured state of the art chairs, resources, and even snacks.
The mobile van further highlighted the importance of blood, as there is no other substitute for the life-giving fluid. Delta Blood Bank relies on voluntary donations, and utilizes mobile centers to find available supplies. Its goal is to reach 200 blood donations per day.
Employee and blood transfusionist Bryan Simon believes that giving blood is one of the most humane acts a person can do for the community.
“Many people don’t really realize the importance of donating blood,” Simon said. “We have multiple facilities that all need to be filled. Hopefully, we continue to get a larger volunteer base. We are always moving to make ourselves available.
“Blood is only good for 42 days, and then we need to throw it out. It’s possible to save three lives with just one donation. You can only donate every 56 days, so we are always in need of more volunteers. Our least common blood type is AB negative. The most common blood type is O positive.”
Turlock resident and Hughson High School teacher Joel Bernard utilized his spring break wisely, and decided to drop in after hearing that there was a high demand for blood. He is an avid blood donor, and states that he has donated blood about 36 times.
“If you can, you should always donate. There always seems to be a need for blood. I feel like I performed a little bit of a civic duty. It is not much, and it doesn’t take time out of my busy schedule. I just hope it goes to someone who needs it before the 42 days are up.”
Those interested in donating blood, or hosting the mobile van at a local business, can find more information at www.deltabloodbank.org/about/about.html.
