Hoxworth Launches New Initiative

Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati is launching a regional campaign initiative, 100,000 Donors, 100,000 Heroes to encourage individuals to become heroes through the act of blood donation while meeting the needs of patients in our community.

“The campaign for 100,000 Donors, 100,000 Heroes is critical to maintaining a safe and adequate blood supply for patients in our area hospitals,” states, Dr. Ronald A. Sacher, MD, director Hoxworth Blood Center.  “We need for all eligible donors to join us and take action in making blood shortages a thing of the past by scheduling their donation today.”

Why is this needed:

• Currently, 37% of the population is eligible to donate blood, however only 5% actually donates.  This equates to only 2 individuals out of 100 are blood donors.
• Our loyal donors are now aging and transitioning more often from blood donor to blood recipient.
• The demand for blood continues to grow with advances in medical treatment and procedures (organ transplant, cancer care, open heart surgery, etc.).
• Currently the Cincinnati area is not donating enough blood to meet patient needs; 6,500 pints of blood came to our patient’s aid from other blood donors in the U.S. last year.

How will it be executed:

The 100,000 Donors, 100,000 Heroes campaign will engage the community by makingknown the needs of area patients and how the community can help.  The campaign will seek out the most likely donors and make each donation a positive experience.  Donors will be recognized as Heroes and will be eligible to win a variety of prizes at milestones on the path to 100,000.  Hoxworth Blood Center will work with its Community Partners to ensure successful and more frequent blood drives.

When will it begin:

The time to act is now.  In order to meet the needs of patients in our community we need all eligible individuals to make an appointment to donate today.  We encourage all regular blood donors to increase their donation frequency.  We invite Corporate and Community entities to become involved by hosting blood drives or partnering to promote blood donation.

Join the Drive for 100,000 Donors, 100,000 Heroes:

Each time Hoxworth reaches a milestone in its drive to collect 100,000 units of red cells from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010, four donors will receive a prize.  Winners will be selected from each of four donation categories:  whole blood, double red cell, platelet/red cell, and apheresis platelet.  The more often you donate, the more chances you have to win.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22 the following Heroes will be awarded for their dedication to blood donation.  These individuals were selected at random from the first 20,000 donors since July.  Emina Short of Cincinnati, Ohio; Charles Bucklew of Ludlow, Kentucky; John Hembree of Batavia, Ohio and Kathleen Fitzpatrick of Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. 

About Hoxworth:

Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, is on a campaign to recruit 100,000 Donors, 100,000 Heroes. Founded in 1938, we serve 32 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana.  Annually, Hoxworth collects over 90,000 units of blood from local donors.  At least 350 volunteer blood donors and 40 volunteer platelet donors are essential each day to keep up with the demands of tri-state hospitals and their patients.