Blood Drive Committee
This committee works with Carter BloodCare to conduct at least three on-site blood drives during the Rotary year. Volunteers are encouraged to come up with creative ways to encourage members to donate. Our club is #75, and you can donate anywhere in the metroplex and if you give them our number, our club will get credit for your donation.
It’s About Life
Interesting Information About Blood and Blood Donation
From the Downtown Rotary Club Blood Drive Committee
BLOOD
• One out of every 10 people entering a hospital needs blood.
• There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O. AB is the universal recipient and O negative is the universal donor.
• One unit of blood can be separated into several components (red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate).
• There are about one billion red blood cells in two to three drops of blood.
• Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
• Platelets help blood to clot and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
• Donated red blood cells must be used within 42 days of collection.
• Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection.
• Plasma can be frozen and used for up to a year.
• Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts.
• Plasma, which is 90% water, constitutes 55% of blood volume.
• Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.
• The average bone marrow transplant requires 120 units of platelets and about 20 units of red blood cells.
• Approximately 32,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States.
• Females receive 53% of blood transfused; males receive 47%.
• A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his or her body.
• There is no substitute for human blood.
DONATION
• Downtown Rotary Club Member Blood Donations by fiscal year:
1998 to 1999 1
1999 to 2000 0
2000 to 2001 135
2001 to 2002 36
2002 to 2003 68
2003 to 2004 35
2004 to 2005 75
2005 to 2006 49
2006 to 2007 27
2007 to 2008 …?
• Blood donation takes four steps: medical history, quick physical, donation, and snacks.
• The actual blood donation usually takes less than 10 minutes. The entire process, from when you sign in to the time you leave, takes about 45 minutes.
• A unit of blood is 500 ml or about one pint. The average person has between 10 to 12 pints of blood in his/her body. It takes about one month to replace the red blood cells and about 24 hours to replace the fluid given with the donation of one unit.
• Anyone who is in good health, is at least 17 years old, and weighs at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days. There is no upper age limit.
• People donate blood out of a sense of duty, community spirit, and because they want to help others. They are not paid for their donation.
• Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
• 94% of all blood donors are registered voters.
• 60% of the US population is eligible to donate – only 5% do on a yearly basis.
• 17% of non-donors cite “never thought about it” as the main reason for not giving; 15% say they’re “too busy.”
• You can donate blood for your own surgery. It’s called an “autologous” donation, and is a decision that you and your surgeon must make together.
• The blood supply is safer now than ever before. Every potential donor undergoes a thorough screening by a trained professional, and every unit undergoes many tests to ensure safety.
• You cannot get any infectious disease by donating blood.
• The following tests are performed on the blood - ABO blood grouping,
Rh type,
Syphilis,
Red cell antibody screen,
Cholesterol,
Hepatitis B, Surface Antigen,
Hepatitis C, Antibody, Hepatitis B, Core Antibody,
HIV-1 Antibody,
HIV-2 Antibody,
HIV-O Antibody,
HTLV - Human T-Lymphotrophic Virus Type I and II Antibodies,
Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing, Hepatitis C, HIV-1, West Nile Virus
NAT.
• If a donation tests positive for any of these tests, the blood is discarded and the donor is notified of any abnormal results.
• For the most part, traveling outside the United States and Canada doesn't keep you from donating.
• After making a donation, the donor receives information about his/her blood and physical condition including blood type, hemoglobin, blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, and cholesterol value.
CARTER BLOODCARE
• Carter BloodCare is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that operates on behalf of patients and their families in 53 north Texas counties. Carter BloodCare was formed in 1998 through the merger of BloodCare in Dallas and Carter Blood Center located in Fort Worth. In 2007, Carter BloodCare merged with Stewart Regional Blood Center in Tyler, Texas. Carter BloodCare is Texas’ largest blood center, providing more than 330,000 units of lifesaving blood components for patients annually.
• The main campus is located on a 16.5-acre site in Bedford, near DFW Airport. The facility is equipped to store, process, and test all blood components locally before distribution. The testing laboratory is one of the most advanced in the nation.
• Carter BloodCare is the primary provider of blood components and transfusion services for approximately 300 Texas health care facilities. These facilities include our region’s children’s hospitals, central trauma centers, major cancer centers, and transplant centers.
• Physicians order blood for more than 400 patients each day within Carter BloodCare’s service area, and most patients receive more than one transfusion.
• Carter BloodCare offers blood donors and patients many convenient donation opportunities at a network of 26 Neighborhood Donor Centers. It also operates an average of 25 daily blood drives in the community. To meet the needs of patients, it registers about 1,000 blood donors each day.
• In addition to providing blood components for patients, Carter BloodCare also provides specialized laboratory and patient care services and physician consultation.
• If you have any questions about blood or donations, call Carter BloodCare at Metro (817) 412-5603 or go to their website www.carterbloodcare .org
OPPORTUNITY TO DONATE
Donate conveniently before or after the Rotary meeting at the Camellia Room of the Fort Worth Club on
Friday, August 17, 2007
between 10 am and 2 pm
If you prefer to donate at another time at a Carter BloodCare Neighborhood Donor Center, be sure to mention you are donating on behalf of the Downtown Rotary Club of Fort Worth.
4995 S. Hulen Street (817) 263-5810 2473 Forest Park Blvd. at Park Hill (817) 335-4935
Monday - Closed Monday
Tuesday -9 am - 5 pm
Wednesday -11 am - 8 pm
Thursday -10 am - 8 pm
Friday -9 am - 5 pm
Saturday -8 am - 4 pm
Sunday -8 am - 4 pm
2473 Forest Park Blvd. at Park Hill (817) 335-4935
Monday - 9 am - 5 pm
Tuesday -10 am - 8 pm
Wednesday - 11 am - 6 pm
Thursday - 10 am - 8 pm
Friday - 9 am - 5 pm
Saturday - 8 am - 4 pm
Sunday - Closed Sunday
