Eagles sponsor blood drive

Kevin Hall takes time to donate blood Tuesday afternoon at the drive sponsored by the Moberly Eagles.

Liz Morales

The Moberly Eagles sponsored a blood drive February 23 at the St. Pius undercroft. Conducting the drive was the Community Blood Center.

Bruce Bolzenius, Community Blood Center recruitment representative, said the blood donated would be given to hospitals and care centers around the community. As a whole, the Community Blood Center gives donated blood to 73 hospitals in western Missouri and eastern kansas.

Bolzenius explained a new process for donating blood where only the red blood cells are collected. Red blood cells are the most important component of blood next to platelets and plasma. Bolzenius said red blood cells are most in demand to surgery patients, severe accident victims and patients with certain cancers or severe anemia.

The process is called automated double red blood cell collection and is beneficial in that the process requires fewer donors. One donation counts for two red cell units donated. This means donors are not eligible to donate for 16 weeks. As for donor comfort, the needle used for the automated system is smaller than whole blood donation needles. Donors feel that the procedure is comfortable.

For more information on giving blood go to savealifenow.org.