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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2008
DAYTON, OH (February 21, 2008) —Platelets Across America is coming to Community Blood Center (CBC) on Tuesday & Wednesday, February 26 & 27, as platelet donor Al Whitney plans to give platelets in his quest to donate platelets in every State of the Union. Whitney will speak with students during a school presentation on Tuesday afternoon, will donate platelets at 7:40 a.m. at CBC-Dayton, 349 S. Main St., on Wednesday, February 27, and will speak to a tour group of students at 10:30 a.m. followed by a tour of the blood center. Whitney, a resident of Avon Lake, OH, has already donated in seven states (Pennsylvania, Texas, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan) as part of his Platelets Across America campaign. He wishes to make his Ohio donation at CBC.
“It’s something I can do,” stated Whitney when asked why he has been so committed to blood and platelet donation over the years. “There is nothing big in my past that caused me to start donating. I know it’s needed and it’s something I can do.” At 70 years old, Whitney has given over five gallons of whole blood and nearly 600 platelet donations including a donation in Australia. He has also served as a blood drive chairman, scheduling blood drives and recruiting donors for many years. Whitney is collecting t-shirts from each blood center he visits and creating quilts with them which will be donated to cancer facilities across the country.
Platelets are cell fragments that circulate in the blood stream and are essential for clotting. They are routinely needed to support patients during cancer therapy, open-heart surgery, blood disorders and organ transplants. Platelets, which have a shelf life of just five days, can be separated from whole blood donations or can be given through a process called apheresis or automated donation. During automated donation, blood is drawn and channeled through a sterile, single use tubing set to an automated system which separates the platelets and returns the other components to the donor.
Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at CBC branch & blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions are invited to email canidonate@cbccts.org or call 1(800)388-GIVE.
Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services™, an independent, not-for-profit organization, is registered to ISO 9001:2000. Community Blood Center provides blood products to 25 hospitals in the Miami (Ohio) and Whitewater (Indiana) Valleys. For more information about Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services™, visit www.givingblood.org.
Al Whitney and “Platelets Across America” Fact Sheet
In an effort to raise awareness for the need for platelet donations for cancer patients, Al Whitney, an Avon Lake, Ohio resident and long-time blood donor, has begun traveling across the U.S., with the goal of donating platelets in all 50 states. America’s Blood Centers is assisting Mr. Whitney in his journey, by providing member blood centers with information to make his visits worthwhile and memorable.
Background Information:
- Al Whitney is a 70-year-old retired factory worker from Avon Lake, Ohio.
- In 1965, Mr. Whitney began donating blood. He has donated over 5 gallons of whole blood during his first years as a blood donor before switching to platelets.
- Mr. Whitney became an avid platelet donor and has made nearly 600 platelet donations throughout his lifetime.
- From about 1965 to 1985, Mr. Whitney worked with his community blood center, LifeShare Community Blood Services, to organize a blood drive every eight weeks. Mr. Whitney then began organizing blood drives on a weekly basis, every Saturday, from 1985 to 2000. In 2000 alone, Mr. Whitney helped collect 2,069 units of blood.
“Platelets Across America”:
- Goal: To raise awareness for the need of platelet donations by donating platelets in all 50 states.
- States where Mr. Whitney has made donations thus far under “Platelets Across America”: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Virginia.
- Donations prior to the launch of the initiative: Ohio, Texas and Sydney, Australia.
- Mr. Whitney is collecting t-shirts from all of his visits and creating quilts to be donated to cancer facilities across the nation.
Contact Information – Al Whitney:
Copyright 2005 Community Blood Center
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