January is National Blood Donor Month, and the American Red Cross of Illinois is proud to celebrate the lifesaving impact of blood donors. The need for blood donations is constant, and each donor’s selfless act can help save up to three lives.
In 2017, after seeing the devastation that Hurricane Harvey brought to Louisiana and Texas, brothers Carter and Noah Collins of Park Ridge, Illinois, were determined to help. They partnered with the American Red Cross to host their first blood drive, which took place at their high school in 2018. Since then, Carter and Noah have continued to host an annual blood drive at their school. However, in 2020, as schools closed due to the pandemic, the duo had to find a new location for their blood drive. Through networking and sponsorships, Carter, a senior in high school and Noah, a junior, were able to raise sufficient funds to rent a space in their local park district. The pair made sure to utilize social media to promote the blood drive, which despite being held during the pandemic, resulted in an increase of 60% in blood donations from their previous events.
The American Red Cross of Illinois celebrates the everyday heroes in our communities and honors their acts of great bravery, dedication, and service through their annual Heroes Breakfast event. The event also serves as a way for the organization to highlight partnerships with corporations, like Fresenius Kabi, that make the lifesaving mission possible. he Red Cross is prepared to respond to more than 60,000 disasters nationwide because of the support of corporate leaders like Fresenius Kabi.
Fresenius Kabi is a global health care company with U.S. headquarters in Illinois that specializes in medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The company is committed to supporting scientific, clinical and educational institutions and programs intended to improve human health and well-being. That is why Fresenius Kabi has served as a multi-year sponsor of the Blood Services Hero Award including in 2021 to honor awardees Noah and Carter Collins.
Learn more about the 2021 Red Cross Heroes and nominate a Hero in your life here.
