Long Beach Council Member Al Austin II recognizes the critical need for blood donors from the Black Community. Sponsoring two to three annual blood drives, he aims to support all those in need of blood, especially those fighting sickls cell disease. Photo by Nancy Castles/American Red Cross.
Nancy Castles/American Red Cross
Over 45 donors rolled up their sleeves to give blood during an American Red Cross blood drive sponsored by Long Beach City Councilmember Al Austin II. As World Sickle Cell Awareness Day and the federal holiday, Juneteenth, both occur on June 19, the councilmember donated blood on Friday, saying, “I am specifically hopeful that as I give blood today, that I can help someone dealing with sickle cell anemia and needing regular blood transfusions.”
“Donating blood is the right thing to do. It’s an opportunity to help others in need such as those who are in trauma care or in cancer treatment, as well as new mothers and premature babies – basically, to save lives,” said Austin, who is a regular blood donor.
According to the Red Cross, it is important that patients who receive regular blood transfusions get as close a match as possible – and this means not only from someone with the same blood type, but also from someone of the same race and ethnicity.
As the sickle cell trait is prevalent among African Americans, Austin said, “As a Black leader in Long Beach and in my community, I am using my platform to encourage people to donate blood.” In the future, he plans “to reach out to other organizations to ask them to use their lists and their influence to encourage more people to donate blood, with added focus on encouraging African Americans to donate blood.”
Coordinating with the Red Cross, Austin sponsors two-three blood drives annually in his 8th District. The Red Cross noted that Friday’s full day of appointments was the biggest turnout in the district since the councilmember began sponsoring community blood drives four years ago. The number of blood donors increases with each drive, and he attributes new donors – as well as repeat ones – “to the relationships we’ve developed over the years, and we get better each year at reaching out to the community.”
Austin said his father was the inspiration for the district-wide blood drives. Upon retiring as an aviation-industry executive for many years, his father “remained active and gave back to the community,” serving as a board member of the Red Cross among his many activities and projects. Sadly, his father passed away just a few months before Austin’s first district-wide blood drive occurred.
The need for blood is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood and every day, volunteer blood and platelet donors across the country are needed to help save lives. The Red Cross collects 40% of the nation’s blood supply and there remains a constant need for new and current donors to give to keep up with hospital demand. Schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment by visiting redcross.org/blood or by calling 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED-CROSS).
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la.
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