Versiti - Community Leaders Join Versiti Blood Center of Indiana for First-Ever Blood Donation Telethon | Press Releases | Versiti

Community Leaders Join Versiti Blood Center of Indiana for First-Ever Blood Donation Telethon

Community Leaders Join Versiti Blood Center of Indiana for First-Ever Blood Donation Telethon

January 29, 2020

Hoosiers encouraged to pledge 3 lifesaving blood donations on Feb. 5 to avert winter shortage


Community leaders will join Versiti Blood Center of Indiana on Wednesday, Feb. 5, for a first-ever telethon to encourage blood donation.

Versiti will transform part of its Indianapolis donor center at 3450 N. Meridian St., into a telethon phone bank and encourage donors to call and pledge 3 lifesaving blood donations. Versiti and community leaders are asking Hoosiers to call the phone bank at 317-916-5150, schedule one appointment in  February and two additional for the year ahead. The goal is to schedule 1,000 appointments on Feb. 5 to ensure a sufficient blood supply for the coming days and weeks.

Winter presents an especially difficult time for blood donations,with seasonal illness and inclement weather contributing to a severe drop. Currently, O positive and O negative blood types are in high need.

As champions of the community, area leaders are volunteering their time at the telethon location to speak to the impact of blood donation on the community and why it’s important for Hoosiers to give back and help patients in need.

  • Dr. Kent Robertson
    Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health
  • Allen Pekarek
    EMS Division Chief, Indianapolis Fire Department
  • Chief Randal Taylor
    Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
  • Lee Ann Blue
    Chief Nursing officer & Executive Vice President of Patient Care Services, Eskenazi Health
  • Bryan Mills
    President & CEO, Community Health Network
  • Randy Lewandowski
    President and General Manager, Indianapolis Indians
  • Butler University spokesman Evan Kraus and bulldog mascot Butler Blue III

Versiti Blood Center of Indiana is the sole provider of blood products to more than 80 hospitals in the state. The organization relies on the generosity of the community to ensure area hospitals have the blood products they need to save lives each and every day. To pledge three blood donations on Feb. 5, call

317-916-5150.

Facebook livestream of telethon

Community members across the state can view interviews from the telethon on Versiti’s Facebook page @VersitiBloodCenterofIndiana. Versiti will livestream intermittent interviews with community leaders on Facebook throughout the morning on Feb. 5.

ABOUT INDIANA BLOOD CENTER

Founded in 1952, Versiti Blood Center of Indiana, formerly Indiana Blood Center, is a non-profit organization and vital community resource dedicated to providing a continuous, safe and adequate supply of blood components and biological services to nearly 80 Indiana hospitals and their patients and beyond. More than 90,000 Hoosiers donate life-saving blood each year. For more, visit versiti.org/Indiana.

###

 
Community Leaders Join Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin for National Blood Donor Month Telethon
In honor of January National Blood Donor Month, community leaders will join Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin on Tuesday, Jan. 7 for a telethon to encourage blood donation.
 
Versiti Urges Blood Donation to Maintain Adequate Blood Supply as Coronavirus Outbreak Continues
Versiti is urging community members to schedule and keep their blood donation appointments at donor centers and organized blood drives to ensure the continued adequacy of the blood supply.
 
Media Kit
Versiti has created a library of resources designed to meet the unique needs of the media. Find Versiti media resources here
 
Press Releases
Important announcements, awards, urgent need and other important Versiti news.
 
Impact Stories
Your blood, organ and tissue, and other donations directly impact lives in your community. Read a few of the examples of some of the lives that have been changed for the better.
 
Ways to Give
You can support Versiti’s mission in several ways, including donating blood, hosting a blood drive, joining the organ and tissue donor registry, and more.