175th Wing holds an American Red Cross blood drive

Raeisha Clay, Collection Technician, connects tubes to Senior Airman Seth Waple from the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard, in order to collect blood during an American Red Cross blood drive at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Baltimore, Maryland, July 15, 2010. Members of the 175th volunteered throughout the day to donate 24 pints of blood to the Red Cross. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chris Schepers/Released)

Wing Blood Donors Step Up

Published July 19, 2010
By Master Sgt. Edward Bard
175th Wing

Baltimore -- Airmen from the 175th Wing rolled up their sleeves to provide much-needed blood donations for their community recently. Red Cross workers from the Mt. Hope Drive Donation Center in Baltimore were able to collect 24 pints of blood from volunteers - two pints more than average for a campus donation drive.

In fact, 175th Wing's response was so impressive that some donors had to be turned away at day's end.

"Next year's blood drive will be held in the Red Cross mobile bus, which can accommodate over 40 donors for the entire day," said Staff Sgt. Stephanie M. Feldhausen, a medical technician from the 175th Medical Group who was the base coordinator for this project.

According to the Red Cross website, every two seconds someone in the United States is in need of blood. Due to increased demands, especially during the summer months, the Red Cross is always in need of blood donations.

The Red Cross started providing blood for patients in 1940 and performs over 200,000 blood drives every year.