Hundreds turned out Saturday for the 5th Annual BTC Blood Drive at the Mall at Marathon, combining the desire to give with the ability to win. Every donor walked away with prizes or gifts ranging from $5 phone cards to new BlackBerry devices worth hundreds.
By mid-afternoon the blood drive had netted nearly 300 pints for distribution to blood banks at Princess Margaret Hospital, Doctors Hospital and the Bahamas Red Cross. Professionally trained lab technicians and medical staff were on hand to pre-test all donors and handle the process. For the first time, donors were allowed to pre-register and show up at an appointed time.
“The blood drive had grown so much from the first time we did it and had become such a popular event that people were standing in line for hours last year,” said Marlon Johnson, BTC Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “So this year we introduced pre-registration to make it more convenient and I think it worked really well.”
Even with the donation-by-appointment, lines were impressive. With music by Visage and a bingo-like wheel spinning for top prizes plus all the activity, at times the centre of the mall felt more like a festival than a blood drive, but the importance was not lost on donors or the sponsor.
“Of all the initiatives that BTC undertakes, or all the sponsorships we support, I believe this is the single most important contribution to the community because this truly can make the difference between life and death,” said Johnson.
Availability of blood did make a difference for BTC Chief Financial Officer David Kelham.
“This is my 79th pint I donated,” said a relaxed Kelham, applying pressure to a small circular band-aid, his badge of donation honour. “Had it not been for the availability of blood, my mother would have died in childbirth with my younger brother. I have been donating blood since I was 18 and I am proud to say this was my 79th pint.”
BTC’s Blood Drive is the largest in the country, the only drive that could literally save hundreds of lives.
Photos by Derek Smith Jr.
