Today is World Blood Donor Day sponsored by the World Health Organization.
The event serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
Rachel Sonnentag at the Community Blood Center says this year they're trying to get younger people in to donate blood...
"...We are announcing a partnership with Team Liquid, which is a famous e-sports team. Part of that announcement is related to the need of the ongoing need of donors and how blood donors are aging, and we need to tap into that new group and that younger group of donors through this partnership with Team Liquid. We able to utilize this partnership with Team Liquid and their millions of fans to get in front of a new audience and that audience is the gaming audience..."
Team Liquid is a multi-regional professional e-sports organization based in the Netherlands that was founded in 2000. Sonnentag says they're thankful for the many people who currently donate, but to fill future needs, more people will need to step forward. Less than 20 percent of blood donations come from millennials, and young males donate at even lesser rates.
Community Blood Center is an Appleton-based non-profit with an office in Woodruff.
Sonnentag says they support the local hospitals..
"...So the blood collected does stay local. So when somebody comes to a donor center or donate at one of our mobile units or at a community drive, that blood is supporting local patients at our local hospitals and in our communities....'
Sonnentag says the need for blood is significant. Every two seconds, an American needs blood. One whole pint of blood can save three or more lives. S
onnentag says to find a donation center or local blood drive near you, visit www.communityblood.org.
