Fort Jackson is host to a plethora of volunteers who clean up the area and even donate blood.
Some of these volunteers visited the Drill Sergeant Timothy Kay Soldier Performance Readiness Center where the American Red Cross was holding a community blood drive, Feb. 3.
Blood donors help people of all ages. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and people battling cancer all need blood.
Helping these patients all depends on donations.
It’s important to donate blood, said Will Sexton, blood drive coordinator, because “blood cannot be manufactured. The only way for someone to get blood when they need it is from another person.”
Sexton, who was also named Fort Jackson’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year, has donated 67 times.
“Sadly, only 23% of eligible donors in the U.S. actually donate blood,” Sexton added.
There is no cause to worry about donating, Sexton said.
According to the American Red Cross, the most common types of concerns are: fear of needles, eligibility issues, safety concerns, fainting fears and blood type questions.
The American Red Cross says take pride in donating, be prepared and relaxation can go a long way to make giving blood easier.
“Everyone I talked to they are just afraid of needles,” said Maj. Abdon Garay-Briones, Fort Jackson’ provost marshal as he donated. “But, if you see the impact you do when you donate and how it is used. There isn’t any excuse.”
Garay said he tries to give blood as often as he can.
Donating blood is “the least of what I could do to pay back for all the blessings I have in my life,” he said.
Garay, who was one of multiple members of the Directorate of Emergency Services to donate, gives blood once a year.
Don’t fret about missing the chance to donate because there is another blood drive being held at Moncrief Army Health Clinic, Feb. 5.
To sign up for that drive visit www.redcrossblood.org and click on find a drive. There are multiple slots available.
That drive takes place in MAHC’s 4th Floor Multipurpose Room from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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