New Blood bus on the Road in West Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, MI (May 10, 2007):  Staff from Michigan Community Blood Centers today unveiled the latest addition to their blood collection fleet, a 40-foot customized Blue Bird coach called “Blood Bus II” (the “II” in deference to the vehicle’s predecessor, a 37-foot Blood Bus that has been cruising West Michigan roadways for more than 10 years). 

Eight blood donors per hour can be accommodated in the spacious new Blood Bus II. It contains four donor beds, two screening booths, one registration booth, and one self-screening booth. Blood Bus II will be available 7 days a week for blood drives in various locations throughout Kent, Barry, Allegan, and Ottawa counties.

“A vehicle like this is really an ideal solution for certain types of blood drive groups,” said Toni Gould, the Blood Center’s communications and marketing director. “For example, there are organizations and businesses that want to sponsor blood drives but don’t have a physical space that can accommodate a conventional mobile blood-drive set-up. With the Blood Bus, we just need an adequate parking space plus access to electrical supply and restrooms, and we’re all set to hold a blood drive. In other cases, small groups and businesses that may share physical space such as an office that want to hold blood drives can work together, using the Blood Bus to host joint drives.  

For more information about using Michigan Community Blood Centers Blood Bus II at a blood drive to support the community blood supply, contact Heidi McDaniel at 616-233-8503 (or toll-free 1-866-MIBLOOD, press 1).

Michigan Community Blood Centers, an independent nonprofit blood bank, provides 100% of the blood supply for 22 hospitals in 15 counties that account for four major regions of Michigan. In West Michigan, Michigan Community Blood Centers provides the entire blood supply for all hospitals in Kent and Barry counties, which care for thousands of people from a multi-county area.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers