Winter Donor Drive Honors the Memory of Dr. Charles Drew and Potentially Saves 117 Lives
During their Winter Blood Drive for Florida Blood Services, the Church of Scientology in Clearwater collected 39 donations, potentially saving up to 117 lives.
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (1888PressRelease) February 28, 2014 - The Church of Scientology honored Black History Month with a February Donor Drive for Florida's OneBlood. 39 pints were collected, which could save up to 117 lives.
Dr. Charles Richard Drew, the first African-American to graduate with a Doctor of Medical Science degree and the first African-American to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Surgeons, improved techniques for blood storage and transfusion. These advances in this field saved thousands of military and civilian lives in World War II. From his work, came the Red Cross Blood Bank.
"Since that time, additional advancements have been made," said Church spokesperson Pat Harney. "Now, each pint can be broken down into three different elements - red blood cells, plasma and platelets. These elements, when frozen, can be stored, in some cases, for up to a year."
"Platelets help cancer victims who are going through chemotherapy," continued Harney. "Red blood cells help victims of trauma and plasma helps burn victims. So every donation really counts!"
The drive took place adjacent to the Church's headquarters in downtown Clearwater and was open to people of all faiths.
"We have been doing 3 - 4 blood drives every year for over 20 years," said Ms. Harney. "This is something that anyone who is in good health can contribute to and make a tangible difference. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote in the Code of a Scientologist that Scientologists pledge 'To make this world a saner, better place.' Any church or social betterment activity has this as a goal."
"Hosting an event for Florida's OneBlood is one way that we can effectively do this and is a fitting tribute to a man who made enormous leaps in medical science, but who also laid the groundwork for African-Americans to gain acceptance as practitioners in the medical field."
For more information about Scientology, please go to www.scientology.org.
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