Thousands of planned blood drives across the country were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, so a group in Alabama is working to help people safely donate to save lives.
Higher Education Partnership, a Montgomery-based nonprofit that advocates for state universities, partnered with student government association presidents from Alabama’s 14 public universities in an effort to increase blood donations.
Gov. Kay Ivey recorded opening and closing statements in a video in which each of the 14 university student presidents asks their classmates to donate.
Student presidents from Alabama’s universities are collaborating with @GovernorKayIvey to ask you to donate blood. Find out more in the video or by visiting https://t.co/8ieW8GTmRe pic.twitter.com/8GSnyzd7JC
— Higher Education Partnership of Alabama (@ALHigherEd) April 14, 2020
“The Higher Education Partnership is honored to work with Governor Ivey and all 14 university SGA presidents to make a difference during COVID-19,” said Gordon Stone, executive director of the nonprofit. “Donating blood is an easy way to help the frontline workers, particularly those in the healthcare field.”
Stone said Gov. Ivey called and asked for his organization’s help in increasing the number of blood donations, which resulted in the project and the video, which is being shared widely on social media.
“We want to just generate attention to the fact that there is a shortage. Healthcare workers are on the front line for every single one of us,” Stone said. “How can we do something that’s very very meaningful, that everybody can participate in that makes a huge difference in the healthcare environment? Donating blood is certainly a way to do that.”
Those wishing to participate are asked to go to a local blood donation site or to visit www.higheredpartners.org/blooddonors to set an appointment to donate. People may also visit the American Red Cross website to make an appointment to give blood.
“The Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need,” the organization said on its website of donating during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Higher Education Partnership asks donors to tag the organization and their university on social media or send an update letting the nonprofit know they participated to partners@higheredpartners.org.
