SC Attorney General to Host Blood Drive

(COLUMBIA,S.C.) - July 2, 2019 -  South Carolina’s Attorney General’s Office is participating in a blood drive coordinated by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) to promote NAAG’s 2019 presidential initiative on emergency and crisis management. Sixteen state attorneys general are partnering with local blood donation centers to host blood drives from late summer through early fall. South Carolina’s blood drive will be held on Friday, July 12th on the first floor of the Dennis Building on the Statehouse grounds from 10 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said, “Blood donors are literally lifesavers and we appreciate them every day of the year, but even more so over the summer when donations decrease. That’s why we were eager to take part in this effort by the National Association of Attorneys General.”

NAAG President and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry selected emergency management as his presidential initiative to help states combat disasters and be better prepared for the unexpected. The blood drives are a culmination of several efforts over the last year aimed at emergency preparedness.

“From accident victims to cancer patients and premature babies to anemic seniors, one in seven people at a hospital needs blood,” said General Landry. “And with blood shortages normally occurring while schools are out of session, we hope this summer’s drive will help save lives across the country.”

The blood drives were coordinated with the goal of increasing community participation in emergency preparedness while also raising awareness for constant blood needs for routine and high casualty emergencies. According to the Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. One pint of blood can be used to save up to three lives.

In addition to South Carolina, the other participating states are the District of Columbia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

You can lock in an appointment at www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code: AG (in the top right corner).  Walk in appointments are okay, but making a reservation will make the flow much smoother and your appointment that much easier.