December 19, 2006

GRANDVILLE, MI: On December 30, just in time to give the holiday season blood supply a much-needed boost, the Grandville Community Donor Center will start regularly welcoming blood donors every Saturday from 8 a.m. to Noon.

The Grandville Community Donor Center is located at Grandville United Methodist Church, 3140 Wilson SW, Grandville. An outreach service of Michigan Community Blood Centers, this site also is open to blood donors every Monday and Thursday from Noon to 7 p.m.

No appointment is necessary, and any healthy person 17 or older who weighs 110 pounds or more may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. Donating a pint of blood takes just 7-10 minutes; the entire process (including registration, health screening, blood donation, and snack/rest period afterward) takes 45-60 minutes.

 “We hope the new Saturday hours will provide an additional, convenient option for people in the Grandville area,” said Kristen Sisson, Michigan Community Blood Centers special events and community relations director. “We also sponsor many mobile blood drives at various sites in the Grandville area, but for some people the permanent Community Donor Center at Grandville United Methodist Church is a preferable. They like donating regularly at a specific place and time.”

The December 30 launch of the new Saturday hours was timed to coincide with a strong seasonal need for blood.

“Donors are always so much more difficult to come by during the holiday season,” Sisson said. “Many blood drive sponsors don’t like to schedule drives around the holidays – but the need for blood continues every single day, holidays included. It makes every pint of blood donated at this time even more precious.”

Michigan Community Blood Centers is the independent nonprofit blood bank that provides 100 percent of the regular blood supply for all hospitals in Kent County, which care for patients from all over West Michigan. Statewide, Michigan Community Blood Centers supplies hospitals in four major regions with a combined population of more than 1. 5 million. After meeting all local needs, Michigan Community Blood Centers also sends blood to other communities across the state and nation, and supports disaster-related and military blood needs. Michigan Community Blood Centers is a member of America’s Blood Centers, the nation’s largest provider of blood and blood-related services, collecting 50% of America’s blood supply and 100% of Canada’s blood supply each year.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers