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Alabamaโ€™s student government presidents join to drive blood donations

young woman as blood donor at donation with a bouncy ball holding in hand

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 Alabamaโ€™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.

โ€œThe Higher Education Partnership is honored to work with Governor Ivey and all 14 university SGA presidents to make a difference during COVID-19,โ€ said Gordon Stone, executive director of the nonprofit. โ€œDonating blood is an easy way to help the frontline workers, particularly those in the healthcare field.โ€

Stone said Gov. Ivey called and asked for his organizationโ€™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. 

โ€œWe 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,โ€ Stone said. โ€œHow can we do something thatโ€™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.โ€ 

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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. 

โ€œThe Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need,โ€ 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.

Eddie Burkhalter is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at eburkhalter@alreporter.com or reach him via Twitter.

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