GODFREY - Jim Morrison's haunting voice greeted blood donors Friday afternoon at Hatheway Hall at Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC).
The Doors, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin came through large speakers courtesy of KSHE 95, the St. Louis radio station partnering with Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) to sponsor the drive. LCCC is one of nine locations in the St. Louis Metro Area participating in the drive, which lasted Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and will continue until 3 p.m. Saturday after starting at 9 a.m. LCCC was the location KSHE chose for a live broadcast Friday.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
The partnership of KSHE and the MVRBC comes at a crucial time, MVRBC Public Relations Director Kirby Winn said. Winn was dressed in an all-red suit with a matching cowboy hat, sunglasses and feather boa. He said the dog days of summer are harsh on local health providers in need of blood for transfusion.
"In the summer months, they use just as much blood as any other time," Winn said. "The demand does not go away."
Winn said blood drives through high schools and colleges usually keeps the supply well-stocked most of the year. He said the MVRBC gets creative with blood drives during the winter holiday season as well.
"People are usually busy between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and don't think they have time to donate blood," he said.
One Friday donor, Jana Green, said she was giving blood in spite of her fear of needles.
"I have type O negative blood, so I'm the universal donor," she said. "I can get over my fear of needles if it can save a life."
Green said Friday's blood drive was the 10th time she has donated blood in her life.
Taylor Scott, a promotions intern at KSHE, said this year's drive was producing better numbers than last year's, a fact which does not surprise Winn.
"KSHE gets a lot of people out to donate," he said. "They have a very generous and active fan base."
The MVRBC provides blood to 22 hospitals on both sides of the river. According to a news release from the organization, blood donations drop by 10-15 percent following Memorial Day until school returns in session.
Besides LCCC, the MVRBC also hosted blood drives in two other Illinois locations. One was in Litchfield, and the other was on the campus of Southwestern Illinois College.
More like this:
