The Citadel Athletics and The Blood Connection Enter into Multi-Year Partnership with Mission to Save Lives in the Lowcountry

Image above courtesy: The Citadel Athletics

The Blood Connection press release seen in the Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Blood Connection, your community non-profit blood center, is excited to announce its new partnership with The Citadel Athletics. The military college in downtown Charleston will officially welcome The Blood Connection (TBC) to campus when their partnership kicks off on September 22nd with a blood drive for the Corps of Cadets and Charleston community.

“The Citadel Athletics is proud to partner with The Blood Connection. We look forward to helping increase the local footprint of The Blood Connection and to bring more awareness towards the cause,” says Kevin Olivett, Associate Athletic Director for External Operations at The Citadel.

TBC is the primary blood provider for Lowcountry hospitals including Roper St. Francis hospitals, Trident Health hospitals and is a supplemental provider for MUSC Hospitals. The blood supply has been critically low since before the summer because of historically low blood donor turnout, as well as an increase in traumas and natural disasters.

“During this third wave of COVID, we have seen a marked decrease in blood donation while maintaining a significant need for blood products. In any community, blood donation is a critical part of the overall process of caring for patient. Please consider donating blood so we can continue providing the best in healthcare to our patients,” said J. Rick McEvoy, MD, MBA, Chairman of Pathology at Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Medical Director at Roper Hospital Laboratories.

“The Blood Connection – which was started and is based in South Carolina – is honored to work with The Citadel – a treasured landmark of Charleston and South Carolina – to host blood drives on campus. Because TBC is the blood provider for Lowcountry hospitals, this partnership will positively impact the Charleston community directly. We are excited for the many blood drives ahead that will help save hundreds of lives,” said Delisa English, President & CEO of The Blood Connection.

About The Blood Connection

The Blood Connection has been committed to saving lives since 1962. Founded in Greenville, South Carolina, TBC is an independently managed, not-for-profit, community blood center that provides blood products to more than 80 hospitals within Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Recognized by the U.S. Congress for its dedication to disaster preparedness and the community, TBC works diligently to collect blood from volunteer donors to meet the ever-increasing demand. By keeping collections local, TBC serves hundreds of thousands of patients a year in its communities. TBC is licensed and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, visit thebloodconnection.org.