Wrap up your Independence Day celebrations by donating blood at the University of Alabama at Birmingham July blood drive. The drive, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, runs at the Kirklin Clinic, UAB Hospital and UAB Highlands from July 6-16.
The drive kicks off at the Kirklin Clinic Resource Center on Monday, July 6. A special off-campus location will be featured Saturday, July 11, at the Freedom Independence UAB Community Blood Drive at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Vestavia Hills.
All blood types are needed. Donors will be eligible for drawings for Target or Walmart gift cards and other prizes. Every donor will receive a T-shirt.
The drive locations are:
— Kirklin Clinic Resource Center, 2000 Sixth Avenue South, Birmingham
— UAB North Pavilion, 18th Street and Sixth Avenue South
— UAB Highlands, 1201 11th Ave. South
— Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2768 Altadena Road, Vestavia Hills.
- Monday, July 6, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Kirklin Clinic
- Tuesday, July 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., North Pavilion
- Wednesday, July 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., North Pavilion
- Thursday, July 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Kirklin Clinic
- Friday, July 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Kirklin Clinic
- Saturday, July 11, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., LDS Church
- Tuesday, July 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Highlands
- Wednesday, July 15, 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Highlands
- Thursday, July 16, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Highlands
Donors should bring a photo ID. Free parking is available in the North Pavilion parking deck and the UAB Highlands parking lot. Reserve your appointment at www.redcross.org; sponsor codes are UABNP or UAB Highlands.
UAB is one of the largest users nationally of blood supplied by the Red Cross. Donors can give blood up to six times a year, every eight weeks. The process takes about 45 minutes; the actual blood collection usually takes less than 20 minutes.
Blood products are used during surgery, transplantation, trauma care, difficult pregnancies and cancer treatment. It is not unheard-of for a single patient to require as many as 100 units.