Gordon County Commissioner Judy Bailey called it “the sucker truck,” in reference to the bus with Blood Assurance parked out front of the Gordon County Administrative building Monday, June 18, to collect blood.

Gordon County donated 54 units of blood, well exceeding the 40 units Blood Assurance had set as a goal.

The drive was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., Monday morning, but the bus “The Blood Hound,” which was supposed to be in Gordon County, broke down at the last minute, and another bus, “The Life Bug,” came to the rescue, from Chattanooga, Tenn.

Gordon County citizens waited in the Gordon County Commissioner conference room in the Administration building to donate blood, and though there was a wait, Blood Assurance Donor Recruiter, Sandra Kerr, said there was not one complaint.

Gordon County residents and employees of all kinds showed up to donate their blood. Four Gordon County firefighters; Gordon County Probate Judge, Richie Parker, donated and many others participated in the blood drive. Donors received snacks, a free t-shirt and a chance to enter a drawing for a prize.

Each bus was expected to collect 40 units of blood, to contribute to the goal of 400 units of blood a day, Blood Assurance sets for itself.

“One unit is 500 milliliters. One person, equals one unit,” said Kerr. “If we have 40 people that are able to actually give today, then that would be our 40 units. We have been steady all day.”

Anyone driving through downtown Calhoun on Monday, would have seen the big red bus, and this is exactly the reason Blood Assurance uses buses and paints them so colorfully. It helps get the message out to people who might not have known, according to Kerr.

Summer months present the most difficult time for collecting blood, says Kerr, but summer time is also a time when blood is used the most. Additionally, high school students, who supply up to ten percent of the blood supply, are out for the summer.

Blood Assurance hosts a blood drive every 56 days and all blood donated will stay in Northwest Georgia and according to Kerr, one unit of blood can potentially save three lives.

“You can donate blood every 56 days and when you donate a unit of blood you can save up to three lives. It is separated into your plasma, platelets and red blood cells, so you are a hero when you donate blood but you are not just saving one life you are saving three lives,” said Kerr.

For more information about Blood Assurance or to see how, where and when you can give blood or host a blood drive, contact Blood Assurance on their Facebook page, or via phone at (800) 962-0628.