City of Harker Heights and Carter BloodCare team up for Blood Drive Friday
“Local blood supplies for hospitals has never returned to pre-pandemic levels,” said Linda Goelzer, a spokesperson for Carter BloodCare. In response to this, the City of Harker Heights will host the Carter BloodCare bus for a local blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at 305 Millers Crossing in the Harker Heights City Hall parking lot.
February is American Heart Month and Carter BloodCare reminds the community that heart surgery patients need blood to survive. The only source of that blood is from generous blood donors.
“Heart disease never stops taking lives, regardless of time of day, month or year. It remains the number one killer of women and men, and patients undergoing heart surgeries can require multiple blood transfusions,” Goelzer said.
Potential blood donors may volunteer at age 16 with parental consent. Donors 17 or older may give independently and there is no upper age limit. Donors will complete the medical history questionnaire online on the day of donation.
People with and without COVID-19 vaccinations are both eligible to donate blood. Staff and unvaccinated donors are required to wear facial coverings at blood drives or donation centers, except when temperature is taken during screening, or when eating and drinking after the donation. Vaccinated donors are strongly encouraged to continue wearing masks. Carter BloodCare will comply with required mask mandates, as applicable.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, go to the City’s website https://harkerheights.gov or contact Human Resources at 254-953-5600.
“If donors could participate at least twice in 2022, there would seldom be a shortage,” Goelzer said. For more information on donor eligibility visit the website at CarterBloodCare.org or by calling 800-366-2834.