Boots & Badges blood drive set

Community Blood Center offers incentives for donations

PRAIRIE GROVE — The Police and Fire departments are teaming up to help bring in donations during a community challenge blood drive, according to Sgt. Mark Scates.

The Prairie Grove Boots & Badges Blood Drive will be held noon to 6 p.m. Monday in the Prairie Grove High School cafeteria, 500 N. Cole St. School will not be in session that day because of the President’s Day holiday.

Scates said people are encouraged to donate blood during the event to help the community, and at the same time, participate in a challenge between the two departments.

People giving blood that day can vote to represent the Police or Fire department with their donation. At the end of the day, the losing department will buy lunch for the winning department, for the shift working that day.

“It’s just a fun rivalry,” Scates said.

All donors will receive a T-shirt and the choice of a free meal gift card from Chick-fil-A or Sonic (while supplies last). In addition, donors’ names will be entered to be one of the weekly finalists with a chance to win a 2020 Nissan Kicks.

The Police and Fire departments are partnering with Community Blood Center of the Ozarks to sponsor the blood drive to raise awareness about blood needs in the community.

Andrea Johnson, blood drive consultant, last week said Community Blood Center of the Ozarks is the sole provider of “every drop of blood to all the hospitals in Northwest Arkansas.”

Johnson said the need for blood is critical and has been since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. In addition to covid concerns, Johnson said hospitals need blood for many other reasons, including trauma, surgeries and blood cancers.

“Everyone is so focused on covid that they’ve forgotten there are other needs out there,” Johnson said.

Many places have canceled blood drives because of coronavirus concerns and the center is encouraging communities “to come to us because we can’t come to them.”

As an example, Prairie Grove Christian Church sponsored a blood drive in November for the center, and Scates is the one who approached the center about hosting something for Prairie Grove Police Department.

Several smaller schools in Northwest Arkansas also have helped by hosting blood drives with safety protocols in place.

“We have had to tailor our business as much as anyone else,” Johnson said.

Staff and those donating blood at the Prairie Grove blood drive will be required to wear masks because of covid-19 concerns.

Community Blood Center is encouraging people to make appointments to donate blood to manage the donor flow and to help with social distancing, Johnson said.

To schedule an appointment, call (417) 227-5006 or go to www.cbco.org/donate-blood.

Johnson has helped with three other Boots & Badges blood drives in Springdale, Rogers and Gravette, and all have been successful. She said the cities have committed to making it an annual event. She hopes it can be an annual event for Prairie Grove also.

“This is a new program since covid started to push into the communities,” Johnson said.

She said the goal of the program is two-fold. It’s an opportunity for the community to recognize its local heroes and an opportunity to meet the need of blood for hospitals in Northwest Arkansas.

The goal for Prairie Grove’s blood drive is 45 units. Johnson said to meet that goal, about 60 people need to sign up for an appointment because some will have to be deferred for different reasons.

Prairie Grove Boots & Badges Blood Drive

Noon-6 p.m. Monday Prairie Grove High School Cafeteria 500 N. Cole St.

Appointments are encouraged. To schedule an appointment, call 417-227-5006 or go to www.cbco.org/donate-blood.

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