(Photo By Flickr User afagen)
To celebrate Black History Month this February, the American Red Cross is teaming up with the Peoria Journey to Empowerment through Motivation and Self-Esteem (JEMS) girls’ youth basketball team. The powerhouse pair is partnering for a February 22nd blood drive to help ensure a stable and diverse blood supply for patients in need.
Since the members of the JEMS basketball team aren’t old enough to donate themselves, they are looking to have an impact in the community by recruiting blood donors to help save lives. This is an event where everyone wins, especially patients and their families.
JEMS girls’ basketball blood drive will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2014 from 9am to 2pm at Proctor Recreation Center, 309 S. DuSable Street, Peoria, IL.
All patients are matched by blood type prior to transfusion. It’s important that lifesaving blood donors are as diverse as the hospital patients who receive blood donations. Patients are less likely to have complications and more likely to find a match from blood donated by someone with the same ethnicity.
Certain blood types are more common in some ethnic groups than others. For instance, about 70 percent of African-Americans have type O or B blood, the types that are typically the first to run out during a shortage. Additionally, sickle cell disease affects more than 70,000 people in the United States, most of them African-American. Since the disease is often managed through regular blood transfusions, African-American blood donors can provide blood that is a closer match for patients with sickle cell disease.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossBloodHA.
About JEMS:
The Journey to Empowerment through Motivation and Self-Esteem (JEMS.) program seeks to motivate area youth to actively engage in the positive aspects of team sports. By empowering them with the skills and knowledge to develop and grow as individuals, JEMS will strengthen their abilities and build their awareness of themselves and their community. For more information, visit jemsbasketball.org.
