Courtesy of LIFELINE Blood Services
LIFELINE Blood Services announces its 75th Anniversary of saving lives in West Tennessee! To mark this special milestone, LIFELINE will kick off with its 75th Anniversary-themed blood drive on Thursday, August 18th from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at their Jackson Center located at 183 Sterling Farms Drive.
All donors receive a 75th Anniversary-themed t-shirt, a voucher for a free Forge burger and fries from The Blacksmith and will have a chance to win additional prizes with our “Wheel of Saving Lives.” Individuals who are at least 17 years of age, feel well and healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds and meet other donor requirements are encouraged to donate blood at our 75th Anniversary Blood Drive. The Dyersburg center will celebrate its 75th Anniversary themed blood drive on September 24-27.
“We are excited to celebrate our 75th Anniversary! The need for blood remains as relevant now as it was 75 years ago, and we are proud to serve West Tennessee and continue to provide safe blood products for the communities we serve. We look forward to celebrating our 75th throughout the next 12 months in the communities we serve with our donors and supporters,” said Melinda Reid, Marketing Manager.
LIFELINE was founded in August 1947 as Jackson Medical Laboratory and Blood Bank and opened its doors on the second floor of 607 Highland Avenue in Jackson, Tennessee. Business partners Jack and Martha Smythe and Ruby Warner along with two other employees began this new adventure with four small Jackson hospitals as the Blood Center’s first customers. Today, LIFELINE operates 2 fixed locations (Jackson and Dyersburg) and 4 bloodmobiles and provides blood products to 17 local hospitals and 14 air ambulances.
“What was once just a vision of Jack and Martha Smythe’s has turned into something very special,” said John Miller, LIFELINE’s CEO. “Our mission is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood and its components to every area patient in need. For 75 years, we’ve been successful in doing that and it’s all thanks to the generosity of donors in the communities we serve.”
To learn about donating blood, donors can call 731.427.4431 or visit lifelinebloodserv.org.
