WACO, Texas — 25 News partnered with Carter BloodCare to bring back an annual blood drive on Monday. Anyone who is eligible to donate was encouraged to visit one of the three locations in Waco, Temple and Killeen.
"From the start of the pandemic to now, it's been a struggle to get donors out to the busses, out to the donor center," Field Recruiter Mike McCoy said.
That’s why they say it is so crucial for people to attend blood drives and make a donation.
Waco resident Pamela Hamic was one of the many who showed up to donate on Monday because she said she wanted to do a good deed. She hadn't donated in a while but decided to after she heard just how low they were on blood.
"I just needed to do something good," she said. "In the current world situation there's not a lot I can do to help people, but I can come out and donate and that's why I came here."
The goal was to get about 70 donors across all three locations, which could save as many as 210 lives. Those donations are crucial for the blood bank, which only has a one-day supply of all blood types.
"We have to look at other avenues, reach out to other blood centers to see if they can supply blood to us," McCoy said. "But right now we're having to supply to those blood centers which makes it even more of a critical need for us."
If you missed Monday's blood drive, you can still donate. To make an appointment, you can visit: https://www.carterbloodcare.org/.
