MEDIC Regional Blood Center honored the twenty organizations which hosted the largest blood drives in 2016. Collectively, donors from these organizations donated more than more than 6,000 units. That adds up to 10% of MEDIC’s total annual collections. The organizations receiving the highest honor (500+ donations) included UT Battelle, Denso, and Y-12.
Each of the twenty organizations sent representatives to a luncheon on Tuesday, March 7th where they were thanked for their tireless work. Attendees heard from Knoxville radio personality Dave Foulk. Foulk received several units of blood during three blood transfusions he underwent as a result of his treatment for colon cancer. He reminded the group that the work they do matters to people like him. “I never in a million years thought I would need a blood transfusion, but there I was,” said Foulk. “And I can tell you it’s much less scary giving blood than it is to receive it.”
This luncheon was a first of its kind to thank the companies – and specifically – the individuals at those companies who are responsible for organizing and recruiting donors for their company blood drives. MEDIC hopes to make this an annual event in an effort to thank these organizations for the thousands of lives they touch each year.
MEDIC serves 28 hospitals across 23 East Tennessee-are counties.
