Why does FSI donate blood on a regular basis? Simply stated, giving blood saves lives. Blood or the components of blood are used to treat patients with medical conditions, such as, anemia, cancer and blood disorders, as well as those having surgery. Blood is made of a number of components, including red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Each of these can be used to treat many different conditions. Blood is usually separated into its individual components or parts, so a patient can be given the particular component they need. This makes the most of every blood donation, as the components in one unit of blood can be used to treat different patients.
It is for these reasons that FSI takes the time to donate as a group as often as we can. For any employees willing to donate, FSI pays them for their time away from work, and we also provide transportation (and a meal if the timing works out). Your body can donate every 56 days, and we try our best to find a nearby drive as soon as our schedules will allow. We recently had the opportunity to donate blood together again as a group this past month, and we’ve already got another date on the calendar. You are welcome to join us or find a different drive nearby at https://www.redcrossblood.org/.
I recently had the privilege of joining the 9 Gallon Club. In most donations, you give 1 pint of blood unless you are doing Power Red, which means 2 pints. Giving Power Red doesn’t exactly speed up the number of donations, because your body then needs twice as long to recover before your next donation. For those who might need a refresher, there are 8 pints in a gallon. Giving 9 gallons means that I’ve donated at least 72 pints. While it is nice to be recognized, the benefit comes in knowing that I’m doing my part to give to those in need. Here I am being recognized with the local Red Cross Regional Manager with a visual representation of 9 gallons and a 9 Gallon Club pin.
I encourage everyone to donate at a local drive near you, or stay tuned to FSI’s social media accounts and join in with us when we donate. In case anyone is wondering, yes, all pick/pack/ship orders and kitting projects still go out on time when FSI takes time out of our day to donate. The show must go on!
