The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is partnering with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers for a blood drive on Saturday, December 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A LifeSouth blood mobile will be stationed in the driveway on the north end of the Museum (near the Red Cross), and blood donors will receive a free admission pass to the Museum to be used that day or on a future visit.
As a nonprofit community blood bank, LifeSouth aims to provide a safe blood supply that satisfies or surpasses the needs in every community in which they serve. LifeSouth serves more than 100 hospitals in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia by providing a variety of services in support of ongoing and emerging blood and transfusion-related activities.
But why is blood donation so important? Someone in the United States is in need of blood every two seconds for surgery, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, or traumatic injury. Just one person can save up to three lives per donation. Less than 38 percent of people are eligible to donate blood, but only 10 percent of those eligible will actually donate. Lifesaving blood and platelets cannot be fabricated; they can only come from volunteer donors. The annual need for blood donors exceeds 266,000 each year or 728 each day.
If you choose to donate, you are required to be in good health and 17 years of age or older (16 with parental consent), and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds. Make sure to have a valid ID with you. To learn more about the work LifeSouth Community Blood centers does in the community, please visit their website.
