To celebrate the 100th anniversary of eastern North Carolina's American Red Cross, the American Red Cross and CBS North Carolina are hosting blood drives in Raleigh and Durham.
The drives will operate today at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and at Northgate Mall in Durham from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The American Red Cross will be hosting events throughout the spring and summer in honor of the state's anniversary, said Brittany Jennings, spokesperson for Red Cross in eastern North Carolina.
“It’s important because 100 years ago, 28 influential women got together and decided to band together and do something truly remarkable and serve both allied (troops) and troops at home,” said Jennings. “It’s remarkable that we’re still celebrating this 100 years today.”
CBS and the American Red Cross partnered to give back to those in the Triangle area, said Kristen Byrum, director of marketing for CBS North Carolina.
“Partnering with a great cause and a great community we want to be behind an organization like the American Red Cross that gives so much to the community,” Byrum said.
Julie Byerley, the vice dean for education for the UNC School of Medicine, said blood donations from the community are a vital part of healthcare delivery.
“This is an example of a community based organization that has really found a way to be helpful in healthcare delivery and healthcare through its blood donations from the physician perspective,” Byerley said.“It’s really quite amazing that a community-based nonprofit can be so helpful in integrating its work with that of organized health care system.”
Blood transfusions can be vital to the care of families, Byrum said.
