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LANETT — Jaderria Bennett and Kort’Nee Jackson had a big banner with them when they made a stop at Kroger Friday afternoon in the LifeSouth Community Blood Centers bloodmobile. In big red letters it read EMERGENCY, making the point there’s a dire need for donated blood in the east central Alabama-west central Georgia region.
“Our team covers Lanett, Valley, West Point, Troup County, Lee County and Randolph County,” Bennett said. “We supply blood to hospitals such as EAMC, EAMC-Lanier and WellStar West Georgia. We really need blood donations right now. There’s an emergency need throughout the area.”
Donating blood is one way people can help fight the coronavirus.
“Blood donations have played a vital role in the global response to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Melinda Joseph, community development coordinator for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers.
An extra bonus right now in giving blood is that it’s an appropriate way to celebrate World Blood Donor Day, which falls this year on Sunday, June 14.
“World Blood Donor Day was first celebrated in 2005,” Joseph said. “The theme for this year’s celebration is Safe Blood Saves Lives – an especially timely message, as blood donations in our region have helped LifeSouth provide a safe and stable blood supply for our local hospitals.”
From June 13 through 15, LifeSouth’s Montgomery, Opelika and Dothan donor centers will celebrate World Blood Donor Days by providing all donors with a special edition t-shirt, a $10 gift card and a COVID-19 antibody test.
LifeSouth is a non-profit, community blood bank serving more than 100 hospitals in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. LifeSouth is committed to meeting the blood supply needs of hospitals and their patients by providing the highest quality blood components and services.
“The LifeSouth team is dedicated to making sure the blood is there when a patient is in need,” Joseph said.
The LifeSouth bloodmobile will be at Walmart in LaGrange from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 13 and at Walmart in Auburn from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday, June 15.