PRESS RELEASE:
Over the course of decades, Willis Wright gave over 150 pints of blood to help save lives. Now, family and friends in Candler are organizing a blood drive in his memory to continue his legacy of helping others.
Family members say Wright’s donations dated back to at least the 1960s. He was motivated in part by a firsthand experience: his wife needed 5 units of blood during childbirth to help save her life. Wright stepped up to pay those units forward. Not only did he give blood then, he gave every opportunity he was able at the American Enka plant where he worked. Wright passed away in 2013 at the age of 80.
Bettie Wright, Willis’ wife, said her husband was always willing to help when he got a call from the Red Cross. “He went every time they called to help others,” she said.
This blood drive comes when the Red Cross is issuing an emergency call for donors to give now to help address a significant blood shortage and ensure area patients receive the transfusions they need. During the Independence Day holiday, many regular donors postponed giving blood due to vacation plans, further depleting an already low blood supply.
Right now, blood products are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in. Every two seconds in the United States blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect approximately 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.
Donate Blood in Memory of Willis Wright
Wednesday, July 20
3 to 7:30 p.m.
Hominy Baptist Church
135 Candler School Road, Candler, NC 28715
To make an appointment, call the church office at 828-667-4541 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: hominybaptist
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.