"Helping someone in need:" Milwaukee Bucks partner with BloodCenter of WI for blood drive
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Bucks partnered with the BloodCenter of Wisconsin -- hosting a blood drive at the BMO Harris Bradley Center Monday, March 23rd. It takes just a few minutes to save lives.
"I`m here doing something that will help someone else," Dorothaya Sarandos said.
Giving blood is part of Sarandos' routine. It all started six years ago with the Milwaukee Bucks annual blood drive at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
"I came and ever since I have been giving blood every eight weeks," Sarandos said.
The donated blood stays in the state, through the BloodCenter of Wisconsin.
"We support a little over 50 hospitals in Wisconsin, and all of the blood donated stays in Milwaukee and then is distributed throughout the state of Wisconsin," Linda Gruber with the BloodCenter of Wisconsin said.
BloodCenter of Wisconsin officials want to collect about 800 units through this blood drive. The blood will be used to help patients in emergencies or with serious illnesses.
"People that are getting treated for cancer, that are being treated for sickle cell anemia, people that have disorders that their platelets don`t function well," Gruber said.
Donors can even do what's called a "double red" donation -- two units of purely red cells. A centrifuge separates your red cells from your plasma.
"Seeing a bag of your plasma next to you and knowing that it is going to go back into you and they`re just taking the red -- I think it's amazing," Mark Rehm said.
Everyone who comes out to give blood walked away with a couple of gifts -- including a Milwaukee Bucks T-shirt and two vouchers to a Milwaukee Bucks game -- either for when they play the Celtics on April 15th or when they play the Magic on April 4th.
They are nice perks -- but many showed up for another reason.
"I know I'm helping someone else in need," Sarandos said.
The Milwaukee Bucks/BloodCenter of Wisconsin blood drive runs through 7:00 p.m. Monday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.