January 16, 2025 • 21 mins
Bill Ellis visits with Elliot Kelley of the Blood Connection about the urgent need for blood donations in the Upstate and the special incentives that they're offering right now!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Carolina Conference Call. It's a public affairs program
produced by iHeartRadio Greenville, and we're gonna spend some good
time talking with some good people with the Blood Connection,
primarily the director of public relations in Marketing, Elliott Kelly. Elliott, welcome,
good to.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Heavy, appreciate it, thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
That what I like to do before we get into
the topic at hand, I like to find out who
we're talking too, and maybe you can let folks know
a little bit about Elliott Kelly. How you wound up
in this position, which I believe started last August for you, that's.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Right, you know August.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It's been a whirlwind since then, after we had Hurricane Helen,
now winter storm under our belt, so it's been a
little bit of a wild run. I'm born and raised
right here in Easily South Carolina, so I'm a native
to this area. I love it, and so it's really
cool to come full circle. I've done a lot of
different things, whether working on the B to B B
two C at Agency World, working with companies like Michelin
(01:02):
and a lot of others, just doing great things and
getting the message out there for different brands. But now
come back here and to be able to give back
to my community, give back to other areas of our
service area, whether it's South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, or Georgia,
and save some lives. What else could you know, be
more profitabl be more impactful.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
We had a chat couple of days ago in the
Allison Brownie Show and I was really impressed with your
depth of knowledge and the way you get it out there.
And I think that's that is really important because the
message that the Blood Connection has for all of us
here is vital. I became familiar with the Blood Connection,
I guess maybe about four years ago, and I know
I'd done several events over the many years at Whistle
(01:44):
wand every day and where the Blood Connection would show
up and the donation vehicle would be there and yeah
we should really but I never did. And one of
the great workers with the Blood Connection said have you
ever donated before? And I said yeah no, and she goes, well,
let's find out if you know, and went through the
Q and A because and they did it with think,
oh my gosh, you were a very rare blood type.
(02:05):
We could really use your donation. And I hate to
say it, but she almost shamed me into it. It
was like I was like, yeah, well I got a
thing and I feel like I got a cold. You
get really come on, just give it a view. Yeah,
And I did it, and it there's something I don't
even say spiritual, but it felt like once I gave,
the first time I gave, I was like, that feels
(02:26):
really good. Not only the feeling that your body has
after you've donated, but the notion that you were supplying
the blood supply for the local hospitals and that gift
that you gave, that vile gift is going to help
someone and perhaps save a life.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
And you know, that's what's wild is you know, so
many people rely on blood products at their hospital, whether
they're going in for surgery, whether it's a cancer patient
fighting that journey, whether it's a baby in the nicke
you they all need these blood products, but we don't
think about that. It's kind of second thought. You know, Okay,
if my family or I'm in okay, then I'm going
(03:00):
to care where these blood products came from exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
But we need to change that.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
We need to change that mantra because only three percent
of those who are eligible to give actually give. If
everyone who could give gave, we wouldn't be out here
having to make appeals and plead with people in order
to make sure a hospital doesn't run out of blood products.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Before our discussion today, I was doing some research and
I saw that number and I was going to ask
you whether or not that is correct. But three percent
of eligible Americans give blood.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
That means ninety seven percent of eligible Americans. Perhaps you
listening right now could be that person, could be that hero.
And if you've heard the ads, the messaging that we're
getting out there for the Blood Connection, it's about being
a hometown hero, stepping up for your community, not just
when times are rough, not just when a hurricane strikes
or whatever, consistently being that blood donor through the blood Connection.
(03:50):
And you guys make it very very easy to do
explain exactly what the blood Connection is all about for
folks who are just hearing this for the first time.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Back in Night Seen sixty two, a group of physicians
and community leaders came together and formed what was then
the Greenville Blood Assurance Plan, and they had a simple
goal make sure that the local hospitals had blood products
in order to care for patients and kickstart their recovery journey.
Sixty plus years later, where the Blood Connection today we've grown.
We're covering South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. And
(04:21):
our mission is super simple. We just want to make
sure that hospitals our healthcare partners have safe, adequate, and
cost effective blood products. That means whether we're doing whole
blood or platelets or plasma. There's a lot of different
things that we can get from the blood, but it's
a simple process. All you need to do is go
to the Blood Connection dot Org. You can go ahead
and book an appointment at a center that's near you
(04:43):
or one of our mobiles that goes out into the
community every day. We have twenty different centers that are
available in sixty plus bloodmobiles, so there's definitely an option
near you where you can give. We're going to ask
you a few questions, get you to fill out a questionnaire.
Make sure that it's safe for you to donate. Make
sure you haven't out of the country recently, or if
you have been, just make sure that you're past the
(05:03):
window for being.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Able to give according to the FDA.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
We'll give you many physical just a fingerprick, check a
few vitals, blood pressure, that kind of thing, and make
sure that it's okay for you to donate. After that,
we're going to get you on a donorbed a few
minutes later if you're doing whole blood, a little while
longer after that, if you're doing platelets, we're gonna have
you right through the door.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
We're going to get you out of there.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
We're going to give you a snack afterwards to get
you refreshed, make sure that you're feeling great, and then
you're also going to get those TBC rewards afterwards for
you being a life saving hero in your community. And
we're excited about how easy this process is. You know,
during the winter Stormholleene, it was a great opportunity for
the community to also come in because we also had
(05:45):
in some of our centers we were able to keep
them open despite power outages, so we had a place
for the community to come in and just stay cool
or get a snack, have something refreshing, be able to
catch up on a show if they needed to while
they're giving a donation. And so it's all about the
donor experience for us. That's what sets us apart is
how we're going to treat you. So come in, let
us show you what it's like. It's a super easy
(06:07):
process and if you have any questions, our team is
standing ready to make sure that you were taken care
of to the best of our ability.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Now, I've made a donation in the mobile of RV
if you will at the Greenville Drive one time. I've
donated at the wood Road location a few times, the
new location and easily relatively new location. A couple of
years there and a couple of years ago was there
for the opening of that. Let me tell you for
those of you who have not yet been, it is
almost like going to a day spot. The creature comforts
(06:35):
and the choch keys that you get just for showing them.
I remember catching up on one of my favorite TV
shows while being a whole blood donor and saying, this
is like a lot. I walked out feeling refreshed. Oh yeah,
am I right in because I know you're a donor.
What is it? Explain folks, what it feels like after
you've donated blood. It is just the best feeling in
(06:56):
the world.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah, you know, a lot of people are concerned about
what's this going to be like? Or they have a
fear of needles, anything like that. But let me tell
you something. The mental change that will have on you
to know that that blood donation can save up to
three lives, and what that's gonna make you feel like emotionally,
what that's going to do to you is gonna make
you have a great rest of your day. Just how
you're giving back right and you know that refresh that
(07:18):
we're gonna give you, it's a great way to just
clear your mind. It's gonna let you just have time
to process, think things out, and get back into your
day whatever you've got on the plan. So it's just
a wonderful experience. Our centers are beautiful. No matter where
you go, you're going to have a great experience. If
you go down to our woodrof Road location, it's by
far one of my favorites. It's a personal favorite. Taylor
(07:41):
and her team down there do a great job. Even
just this last week, we've had so many donors going
through there thanks to their support after this winter storm.
And it's just regardless of how much how many people
that we have going through there, everyone is treated the same.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Everyone's treated with respect.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
We're going to respect time we're gonna treat you professionally,
we're always going to show you gratitude. So it's just
a great way to give back to your community.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
It'll feel great.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
And you know what's really interesting to me is talking
with some of our donors. You know, we have so
many people that have so many reasons why they give,
whether it's personally that they've had some experience in their
family or friend group, or they've just you know, seen
the need for this. And one of our donors that
goes to Woodroff Road, he started donating many years ago
(08:29):
now with a goal of getting to three hundred donations.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, And it started because in high school he had
a friend Lisa, and Lisa was in a cancer journey
and she had to receive blood units and that kind
of kickstarted his mentality of I need to give back
from my friend Lisa, who unfortunately didn't make it through
her journey, but due to his donations, others are able
to make it through their journeys. They're able to have
(08:55):
a way of continuing on in life. And so he
gives back in honor Adisa, and now he's surpassed three
hundred units. Now he's going on to five hundred, so
we're cheering him along the way.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Go man, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So it's great to just talk to some donors and
hear why they want to give and what motivates them.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
We're having a conversation with Elliot Kelly's with the Blood
Connection doing a wonderful job of explaining what the blood
connection is all about. And again going back to that
three percent number, and again if you're just joining us here,
it is it is a proven fact that three percent
of eligible blood donors in this country actually donate, just
three percent, which again we're trying to reach the other
(09:33):
ninety seven percent of you out there who are eligible.
And if you're looking at the very beginning of the
year here we're into January, and you maybe made a
resolution to improve your life in different ways, shapes and forms.
And if you're looking for a way of really making
a difference, what is the power of one. The power
of one is you going into that blood connection, going
through the protocol, finding out that yes, you are a donor,
(09:54):
and consistently and intentionally becoming a part of that. Now,
when someone gives blood, when is the next time they
can be eligible to do it again.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Yes, So it depends on the type of donation that
they make. If they're going to make a whole blood donation,
we're gonna say fifty six days. Fifty six days, you're
able to come back in and make another donation, but
you don't want to have to keep track of that,
so we're gonna do it for you.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
We're gonna make it easy.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
You let me know.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
You download the TBC Now app.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Not only do you get a reminder about when you
can donate next, and you can find out more about
booking an appointment, see information about your blood. Maybe you
don't know what type of blood you have, we're gonna
test that for you. We're going to let you know
in that app. We're going to keep all your information
safe and secure, there's no concerns there. But you're also
able to get your TBC rewards through that app as
well and go into the TBC store. So whether you're
(10:42):
donating on a mobile or on one of our centers,
we're always going to make sure that you get TVC
rewards just as our thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Here's the bottom line. People, they're doing their job, and
they're doing it very very well. It's up to us
to meet that meet them where they are, and they've
gone more than sixty forty. I mean, I am a
fan of what you do. I'm a participant in what
you do. And everything that Ali is telling you about
the blood connection is true. And again we're talking about
(11:10):
supplying the blood supply to local hospitals. It's your donation
is helping out a neighbor, somebody here at home. And
that's why the messaging out there is to be a
hometown hero, help somebody in your neighborhood who badly needs
what you have to give, and that is life blood.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
And it's over one hundred and thirty plus hospitals that
we're supporting on one hundred and thirty plus and that
includes EMS, that includes air transport, life flights.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So there's so many people that have this need.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
But without us bringing in these blood products, without our
donors coming in and committing with us, they could go
without these blood products. And that means someone is not
able to kickstart their recovery or even worse, if they're
in a traumatic drama incident. And you know we talked
about your blood type, that you're one of those rare blood.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Type I'm that guy.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
You know, if you have an O nagget or an
opause blood type, we really want to talk to you,
want to get you in the chair. Oeg is gonna
be what's pushed first if there's a trauma incident, until
they're able to type the blood and then do that match.
So we really need those. Those are vital, Those are
very important. Maybe you want to go further, maybe you
want to be a platelet donor, and that's super important
(12:17):
for those who are having surgeries or those going through
a cancer battle and are on chemotherapy. For that type
of a donation, we're gonna say two weeks you can
come back and.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Do another platelet donation.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So there's a lot of things that you can do,
a lot of ways that you can give back. And
as you're working on your resolutions. You know, we talked
about resolutions a few minutes ago. We need people to
do more than just donate. We need them to also
partner with us and be a blood drive coordinator. We
need you to host some events, go and a great
way that we see that happening. You know, here in
(12:48):
the upstate of South Carolina, we really know the Gilstrap
family Dealerships and that great group over there, and they're
partnering with us. On Friday, the January the twenty fourth,
they're going to be hosting three different blood drives. There's
gonna be one in Greenville, one and Easily, and one
in Greer. The one in Greenville's gonna be two to five,
the one in Easily is going to be nine to one,
(13:09):
and then from in Greer it's going to be nine
to twelve. At their locations, not only can donors go
and receive forty dollars in TBC rewards that can be
redeemed for an E gift card, but the great group
over the Gilstrapt Family Dealership is also going to be
throwing in a free oil change that's at a forty
dollars value. So this is a great opportunity to awesome,
get some oil change, get some TVC rewards, and save
(13:31):
some lives with us.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
What could be better?
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Right before you leave, we're going to go back and
mention those locations and dates again because I'm going to
be at one of those myself and we'll be donating
that day and catching up with Jay and the good
folks out there, and they always step up for the community,
and I was so glad to hear them partnering with
you guys this time around. And again we're into January. Okay,
we're going to get some more storm events. That's all
gonna come our way. Well, we're asking you to let's
(13:54):
not wait for that moment when when when Elliott has
to come in here and say, guys, we had a
little touch of winter weather, and believe it or not,
we're our donations and now we need help. Now we
want to build the supply so we can sustain ourselves.
But the whole idea is to get that ninety seven
percent of you to say, you know what, I'll give
this a try, and this good starting point. Whether it's
(14:14):
on their social media pages or or to your website,
go there. You will find out everything you need to know,
including scheduling your appointment to come on by.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That's right, and you know it's super easy you go online.
We're gonna let you fill out some questionnaires. You know,
we talked about those questionnaires earlier. This allows you to
speed up your donation to get you through the door faster.
It's gonna be the TBC Express lane. So we're gonna
get you right through. We're excited about this should It's
an easy process. And I think that's what most people
(14:45):
don't realize about blood donation. They think it's going to
be very difficult, laborious.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Guys, it's not.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
It's gonna be the easiest thing you've done. You get
to kick back, relax for a little bit. We're gonna
give you a squeeze to make sure that you've got
your blood pumping good. Our team's there if you want,
we're gonna hook you up with a snack. We're gonna
take care of you. It's gonna be easy. Let's get
out there. Let's save some lives together. Whether you're doing
it on a bloodmobile or on one of our centers,
Let's do this together.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
We need you.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You folks know me. You know I'm a curmudgeon, and
you know that I'm like, I don't want to waste
my time doing it. I will again, as I told
Elliott and you guys early in this conversation, my first
donation was in a mobile site and I kind of
she kind of shamed me into it and saying, really,
what else are you gonna do. You're out here with
us for a few hours, Why don't you find out.
Once I did it, I was hooked and I have
been a multiple donor ever since, and it's something that
(15:32):
I look forward to doing in the In this week
ahead here, I'm telling you, they make it so easy
for you, and it feels so good to be a
part of what we're doing here. With the blood connection,
we know you'll want to be a part of it
as well, and with the added rewards that you add
with TVC, it's just fantastic. Can you again go over slowly,
take your time with it? Where you guys will be
with gilstrap in the week ahead?
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Absolutely so again. Friday, January the twenty fourth, US coming
up quick. We're gonna be in Greenville at three twenty
five Woodriff Road. We're gonna be there from two till
five pm. We're gonna then be in easily on that
same day from nine in the morning to one in
the afternoon at forty eighth three Calhoun Memorial Highway, and
(16:14):
then in Greer from nine till twelve at thirteen seven
fifty five East Wadhampton Boulevard. And here's what they're gonna get.
Not only are you going to be saving up to
three lives, of your donation, we're going to be giving
you forty dollars in TBC rewards. Those can be redeemed
for e gift cards on the TBC now out.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Fantastic.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
But then Ja gil Strapp, let me tell you what
he's had at forty dollars value for a free oil chain.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Absolutely so, while.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
You're donating, they're gonna take care of your car.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Get you ready to go.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
You've got no weight, no reasons to hold out, no excuses.
Let's all show up on Friday, January the twenty fourth.
We're so grateful for Jay what he's doing for us
here and excited about what this means for the community.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Very cool, and I will be at the Easily location
on Friday starting by nine thirty. Hang out for a
couple of hours there. Probably bring the car, buy for
and oil change if you're do it. But the whole
idea is to support the great work that goes on
with the Blood connection. What else do we need to
discuss here? Am I missing something in our time together here?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
You know?
Speaker 3 (17:11):
I just want to flag you know that for donors
they often wonder, you know, where does the blood go?
How does it get tested? And let me just give
a little light on that sure. So we bring that
into some of our labs. We're going to test the
blood and make sure that it's safe, make sure that
we tell you as the donor, what type of blood
type you have, right, and then we're going to go
and send that out to the local hospitals that need it.
(17:33):
We believe in keeping blood local. That means that when
we're supporting a hospital like Spartanburg Regional like and Med
like Prisma Health, like Karellian Clinic in Virginia, like so
many others, we want that blood to stay in that community.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, we want your blood.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
To supply someone here that has a motorcycle accident, that's
going through cancer a chemotherapy. That's what we want because
it's really a community giving back to itself. So we
keep blood local. So if you're going to one of
these drives on Friday, January the twenty fourth with Jay
guil Strap and the Blood Connection, let me assure you
we are the sole blood provider.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
For the Upstate.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
We support over one hundred and thirty plus healthcare partners.
You don't have to worry about where your blood's going.
It's not going to be leaving it's going to stay
right here and help someone in need. And that means
that whether you're at Prisma, whether you're at Spartanburg Regional
or any other hospital here, you're going to have blood
products because of the community, and they're going.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
To be grateful for you. We're going to be grateful
for you.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
And we're just proud of community partners like Jay Guilstrap,
like you here Bill, that are partnering with us to
explain the need, explain why we need more than three
percent of eligible donors going out and giving blood, Why
it's important for all of us just to take a
few minutes out of our day to give back to
give some blood. We can do this together. We can
overcome what we're seeing and we can overcome all the
(18:53):
you know, the ideas or negative thoughts around giving blood
is a bad thing.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
It's not. It's easy.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's a fun process. Our team's gonna you know, you're
gonna fall in love with our team. That's one thing
we hear from our donors. They love seeing the same
text every time they come in and they become like family.
We're gonna be asking about how you're doing, what that
pet project is, what that hobby is how your kids
are doing. We want to know about you. You're not
just another number to us. You're a person. You're a
person that's a community hero, one of our local life savers.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
As you're listening to the show early this morning, on
this beautiful Whistleland weekend, they give it a think. Okay,
after we're done with our discussion here, Matt, we just
go online for a minute, okay and look up the
Blood Connection dot org or follow them on social media
as I do, and see the great work they do.
It is the window to everything you need to know
about becoming one of those heroes that we need here
(19:43):
at home and be a part of that growing percentage
of people who are saying, you know what, I can
give the gift of life and I'm gonna do it
with the Blood Connection because they do it and they
make it so darn easy for us here to do it.
And man, I'm thankful for people like you, I really am.
You're doing a great job of explaining the mission of
the Blood Connection.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
We appreciate it, and we can only accomplish our mission
through donors. So if you're out there you're listening to us,
will you commit this year will you commit that you'll
not only give blood, but whether you're going to your
local church, your local rotary club, whatever your affiliation is,
whatever that club is, would y'all consider hosting a blood
drive with us. Will y'all be our partner, Will y'all
(20:23):
join with us. We want to come out there, We
want to meet you, We want to talk with you,
shake your hand and thank you for being a hero.
You know, the last thing I want to tell your
donors is just one more story about what.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
It means to be a donor.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Yeah, you know, we had a lady who had just
given birth and unfortunately she was having a trauma. She
was bleeding out while she was on the table after
giving birth. But thanks to a donor, thanks to someone
who stepped up weeks before they had made a donation,
we had tested their blood, we had sent it to
the local hospital. There was a blood product available for
(20:56):
that mom that was able to change her outcome and
give her another chance at life. And she got to
see her child grow up, get to see them walk, run, play,
go to school, all those things that we take for
granted every day because of a donor, and it was
our privilege, it was it was humbling to see them
meet and get to thank each other for what they did.
(21:17):
That's what your donation can do. You can save lives
with us, You can make a difference, but only if
you show up, only if you donate, only if you
host a blood drive with us.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
We need you this year.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Well said and thanks for being with us.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Absolutely thank you for having us today. We appreciate you.
Welcome to Carolina Conference Call. It's a public affairs program
produced by iHeartRadio Greenville, and we're gonna spend some good
time talking with some good people with the Blood Connection,
primarily the director of public relations in Marketing, Elliott Kelly. Elliott, welcome,
good to.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Heavy, appreciate it, thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
That what I like to do before we get into
the topic at hand, I like to find out who
we're talking too, and maybe you can let folks know
a little bit about Elliott Kelly. How you wound up
in this position, which I believe started last August for you, that's.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Right, you know August.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It's been a whirlwind since then, after we had Hurricane Helen,
now winter storm under our belt, so it's been a
little bit of a wild run. I'm born and raised
right here in Easily South Carolina, so I'm a native
to this area. I love it, and so it's really
cool to come full circle. I've done a lot of
different things, whether working on the B to B B
two C at Agency World, working with companies like Michelin
(01:02):
and a lot of others, just doing great things and
getting the message out there for different brands. But now
come back here and to be able to give back
to my community, give back to other areas of our
service area, whether it's South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, or Georgia,
and save some lives. What else could you know, be
more profitabl be more impactful.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
We had a chat couple of days ago in the
Allison Brownie Show and I was really impressed with your
depth of knowledge and the way you get it out there.
And I think that's that is really important because the
message that the Blood Connection has for all of us
here is vital. I became familiar with the Blood Connection,
I guess maybe about four years ago, and I know
I'd done several events over the many years at Whistle
(01:44):
wand every day and where the Blood Connection would show
up and the donation vehicle would be there and yeah
we should really but I never did. And one of
the great workers with the Blood Connection said have you
ever donated before? And I said yeah no, and she goes, well,
let's find out if you know, and went through the
Q and A because and they did it with think,
oh my gosh, you were a very rare blood type.
(02:05):
We could really use your donation. And I hate to
say it, but she almost shamed me into it. It
was like I was like, yeah, well I got a
thing and I feel like I got a cold. You
get really come on, just give it a view. Yeah,
And I did it, and it there's something I don't
even say spiritual, but it felt like once I gave,
the first time I gave, I was like, that feels
(02:26):
really good. Not only the feeling that your body has
after you've donated, but the notion that you were supplying
the blood supply for the local hospitals and that gift
that you gave, that vile gift is going to help
someone and perhaps save a life.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
And you know, that's what's wild is you know, so
many people rely on blood products at their hospital, whether
they're going in for surgery, whether it's a cancer patient
fighting that journey, whether it's a baby in the nicke
you they all need these blood products, but we don't
think about that. It's kind of second thought. You know, Okay,
if my family or I'm in okay, then I'm going
(03:00):
to care where these blood products came from exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
But we need to change that.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
We need to change that mantra because only three percent
of those who are eligible to give actually give. If
everyone who could give gave, we wouldn't be out here
having to make appeals and plead with people in order
to make sure a hospital doesn't run out of blood products.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Before our discussion today, I was doing some research and
I saw that number and I was going to ask
you whether or not that is correct. But three percent
of eligible Americans give blood.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
That means ninety seven percent of eligible Americans. Perhaps you
listening right now could be that person, could be that hero.
And if you've heard the ads, the messaging that we're
getting out there for the Blood Connection, it's about being
a hometown hero, stepping up for your community, not just
when times are rough, not just when a hurricane strikes
or whatever, consistently being that blood donor through the blood Connection.
(03:50):
And you guys make it very very easy to do
explain exactly what the blood Connection is all about for
folks who are just hearing this for the first time.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Back in Night Seen sixty two, a group of physicians
and community leaders came together and formed what was then
the Greenville Blood Assurance Plan, and they had a simple
goal make sure that the local hospitals had blood products
in order to care for patients and kickstart their recovery journey.
Sixty plus years later, where the Blood Connection today we've grown.
We're covering South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. And
(04:21):
our mission is super simple. We just want to make
sure that hospitals our healthcare partners have safe, adequate, and
cost effective blood products. That means whether we're doing whole
blood or platelets or plasma. There's a lot of different
things that we can get from the blood, but it's
a simple process. All you need to do is go
to the Blood Connection dot Org. You can go ahead
and book an appointment at a center that's near you
(04:43):
or one of our mobiles that goes out into the
community every day. We have twenty different centers that are
available in sixty plus bloodmobiles, so there's definitely an option
near you where you can give. We're going to ask
you a few questions, get you to fill out a questionnaire.
Make sure that it's safe for you to donate. Make
sure you haven't out of the country recently, or if
you have been, just make sure that you're past the
(05:03):
window for being.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Able to give according to the FDA.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
We'll give you many physical just a fingerprick, check a
few vitals, blood pressure, that kind of thing, and make
sure that it's okay for you to donate. After that,
we're going to get you on a donorbed a few
minutes later if you're doing whole blood, a little while
longer after that, if you're doing platelets, we're gonna have
you right through the door.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
We're going to get you out of there.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
We're going to give you a snack afterwards to get
you refreshed, make sure that you're feeling great, and then
you're also going to get those TBC rewards afterwards for
you being a life saving hero in your community. And
we're excited about how easy this process is. You know,
during the winter Stormholleene, it was a great opportunity for
the community to also come in because we also had
(05:45):
in some of our centers we were able to keep
them open despite power outages, so we had a place
for the community to come in and just stay cool
or get a snack, have something refreshing, be able to
catch up on a show if they needed to while
they're giving a donation. And so it's all about the
donor experience for us. That's what sets us apart is
how we're going to treat you. So come in, let
us show you what it's like. It's a super easy
(06:07):
process and if you have any questions, our team is
standing ready to make sure that you were taken care
of to the best of our ability.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Now, I've made a donation in the mobile of RV
if you will at the Greenville Drive one time. I've
donated at the wood Road location a few times, the
new location and easily relatively new location. A couple of
years there and a couple of years ago was there
for the opening of that. Let me tell you for
those of you who have not yet been, it is
almost like going to a day spot. The creature comforts
(06:35):
and the choch keys that you get just for showing them.
I remember catching up on one of my favorite TV
shows while being a whole blood donor and saying, this
is like a lot. I walked out feeling refreshed. Oh yeah,
am I right in because I know you're a donor.
What is it? Explain folks, what it feels like after
you've donated blood. It is just the best feeling in
(06:56):
the world.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah, you know, a lot of people are concerned about
what's this going to be like? Or they have a
fear of needles, anything like that. But let me tell
you something. The mental change that will have on you
to know that that blood donation can save up to
three lives, and what that's gonna make you feel like emotionally,
what that's going to do to you is gonna make
you have a great rest of your day. Just how
you're giving back right and you know that refresh that
(07:18):
we're gonna give you, it's a great way to just
clear your mind. It's gonna let you just have time
to process, think things out, and get back into your
day whatever you've got on the plan. So it's just
a wonderful experience. Our centers are beautiful. No matter where
you go, you're going to have a great experience. If
you go down to our woodrof Road location, it's by
far one of my favorites. It's a personal favorite. Taylor
(07:41):
and her team down there do a great job. Even
just this last week, we've had so many donors going
through there thanks to their support after this winter storm.
And it's just regardless of how much how many people
that we have going through there, everyone is treated the same.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Everyone's treated with respect.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
We're going to respect time we're gonna treat you professionally,
we're always going to show you gratitude. So it's just
a great way to give back to your community.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
It'll feel great.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
And you know what's really interesting to me is talking
with some of our donors. You know, we have so
many people that have so many reasons why they give,
whether it's personally that they've had some experience in their
family or friend group, or they've just you know, seen
the need for this. And one of our donors that
goes to Woodroff Road, he started donating many years ago
(08:29):
now with a goal of getting to three hundred donations.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, And it started because in high school he had
a friend Lisa, and Lisa was in a cancer journey
and she had to receive blood units and that kind
of kickstarted his mentality of I need to give back
from my friend Lisa, who unfortunately didn't make it through
her journey, but due to his donations, others are able
to make it through their journeys. They're able to have
(08:55):
a way of continuing on in life. And so he
gives back in honor Adisa, and now he's surpassed three
hundred units. Now he's going on to five hundred, so
we're cheering him along the way.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Go man, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So it's great to just talk to some donors and
hear why they want to give and what motivates them.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
We're having a conversation with Elliot Kelly's with the Blood
Connection doing a wonderful job of explaining what the blood
connection is all about. And again going back to that
three percent number, and again if you're just joining us here,
it is it is a proven fact that three percent
of eligible blood donors in this country actually donate, just
three percent, which again we're trying to reach the other
(09:33):
ninety seven percent of you out there who are eligible.
And if you're looking at the very beginning of the
year here we're into January, and you maybe made a
resolution to improve your life in different ways, shapes and forms.
And if you're looking for a way of really making
a difference, what is the power of one. The power
of one is you going into that blood connection, going
through the protocol, finding out that yes, you are a donor,
(09:54):
and consistently and intentionally becoming a part of that. Now,
when someone gives blood, when is the next time they
can be eligible to do it again.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Yes, So it depends on the type of donation that
they make. If they're going to make a whole blood donation,
we're gonna say fifty six days. Fifty six days, you're
able to come back in and make another donation, but
you don't want to have to keep track of that,
so we're gonna do it for you.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
We're gonna make it easy.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
You let me know.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
You download the TBC Now app.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
Not only do you get a reminder about when you
can donate next, and you can find out more about
booking an appointment, see information about your blood. Maybe you
don't know what type of blood you have, we're gonna
test that for you. We're going to let you know
in that app. We're going to keep all your information
safe and secure, there's no concerns there. But you're also
able to get your TBC rewards through that app as
well and go into the TBC store. So whether you're
(10:42):
donating on a mobile or on one of our centers,
we're always going to make sure that you get TVC
rewards just as our thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Here's the bottom line. People, they're doing their job, and
they're doing it very very well. It's up to us
to meet that meet them where they are, and they've
gone more than sixty forty. I mean, I am a
fan of what you do. I'm a participant in what
you do. And everything that Ali is telling you about
the blood connection is true. And again we're talking about
(11:10):
supplying the blood supply to local hospitals. It's your donation
is helping out a neighbor, somebody here at home. And
that's why the messaging out there is to be a
hometown hero, help somebody in your neighborhood who badly needs
what you have to give, and that is life blood.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
And it's over one hundred and thirty plus hospitals that
we're supporting on one hundred and thirty plus and that
includes EMS, that includes air transport, life flights.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So there's so many people that have this need.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
But without us bringing in these blood products, without our
donors coming in and committing with us, they could go
without these blood products. And that means someone is not
able to kickstart their recovery or even worse, if they're
in a traumatic drama incident. And you know we talked
about your blood type, that you're one of those rare blood.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Type I'm that guy.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
You know, if you have an O nagget or an
opause blood type, we really want to talk to you,
want to get you in the chair. Oeg is gonna
be what's pushed first if there's a trauma incident, until
they're able to type the blood and then do that match.
So we really need those. Those are vital, Those are
very important. Maybe you want to go further, maybe you
want to be a platelet donor, and that's super important
(12:17):
for those who are having surgeries or those going through
a cancer battle and are on chemotherapy. For that type
of a donation, we're gonna say two weeks you can
come back and.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Do another platelet donation.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So there's a lot of things that you can do,
a lot of ways that you can give back. And
as you're working on your resolutions. You know, we talked
about resolutions a few minutes ago. We need people to
do more than just donate. We need them to also
partner with us and be a blood drive coordinator. We
need you to host some events, go and a great
way that we see that happening. You know, here in
(12:48):
the upstate of South Carolina, we really know the Gilstrap
family Dealerships and that great group over there, and they're
partnering with us. On Friday, the January the twenty fourth,
they're going to be hosting three different blood drives. There's
gonna be one in Greenville, one and Easily, and one
in Greer. The one in Greenville's gonna be two to five,
the one in Easily is going to be nine to one,
(13:09):
and then from in Greer it's going to be nine
to twelve. At their locations, not only can donors go
and receive forty dollars in TBC rewards that can be
redeemed for an E gift card, but the great group
over the Gilstrapt Family Dealership is also going to be
throwing in a free oil change that's at a forty
dollars value. So this is a great opportunity to awesome,
get some oil change, get some TVC rewards, and save
(13:31):
some lives with us.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
What could be better?
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Right before you leave, we're going to go back and
mention those locations and dates again because I'm going to
be at one of those myself and we'll be donating
that day and catching up with Jay and the good
folks out there, and they always step up for the community,
and I was so glad to hear them partnering with
you guys this time around. And again we're into January. Okay,
we're going to get some more storm events. That's all
gonna come our way. Well, we're asking you to let's
(13:54):
not wait for that moment when when when Elliott has
to come in here and say, guys, we had a
little touch of winter weather, and believe it or not,
we're our donations and now we need help. Now we
want to build the supply so we can sustain ourselves.
But the whole idea is to get that ninety seven
percent of you to say, you know what, I'll give
this a try, and this good starting point. Whether it's
(14:14):
on their social media pages or or to your website,
go there. You will find out everything you need to know,
including scheduling your appointment to come on by.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
That's right, and you know it's super easy you go online.
We're gonna let you fill out some questionnaires. You know,
we talked about those questionnaires earlier. This allows you to
speed up your donation to get you through the door faster.
It's gonna be the TBC Express lane. So we're gonna
get you right through. We're excited about this should It's
an easy process. And I think that's what most people
(14:45):
don't realize about blood donation. They think it's going to
be very difficult, laborious.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Guys, it's not.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
It's gonna be the easiest thing you've done. You get
to kick back, relax for a little bit. We're gonna
give you a squeeze to make sure that you've got
your blood pumping good. Our team's there if you want,
we're gonna hook you up with a snack. We're gonna
take care of you. It's gonna be easy. Let's get
out there. Let's save some lives together. Whether you're doing
it on a bloodmobile or on one of our centers,
Let's do this together.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
We need you.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You folks know me. You know I'm a curmudgeon, and
you know that I'm like, I don't want to waste
my time doing it. I will again, as I told
Elliott and you guys early in this conversation, my first
donation was in a mobile site and I kind of
she kind of shamed me into it and saying, really,
what else are you gonna do. You're out here with
us for a few hours, Why don't you find out.
Once I did it, I was hooked and I have
been a multiple donor ever since, and it's something that
(15:32):
I look forward to doing in the In this week
ahead here, I'm telling you, they make it so easy
for you, and it feels so good to be a
part of what we're doing here. With the blood connection,
we know you'll want to be a part of it
as well, and with the added rewards that you add
with TVC, it's just fantastic. Can you again go over slowly,
take your time with it? Where you guys will be
with gilstrap in the week ahead?
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Absolutely so again. Friday, January the twenty fourth, US coming
up quick. We're gonna be in Greenville at three twenty
five Woodriff Road. We're gonna be there from two till
five pm. We're gonna then be in easily on that
same day from nine in the morning to one in
the afternoon at forty eighth three Calhoun Memorial Highway, and
(16:14):
then in Greer from nine till twelve at thirteen seven
fifty five East Wadhampton Boulevard. And here's what they're gonna get.
Not only are you going to be saving up to
three lives, of your donation, we're going to be giving
you forty dollars in TBC rewards. Those can be redeemed
for e gift cards on the TBC now out.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Fantastic.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
But then Ja gil Strapp, let me tell you what
he's had at forty dollars value for a free oil chain.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Absolutely so, while.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
You're donating, they're gonna take care of your car.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Get you ready to go.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
You've got no weight, no reasons to hold out, no excuses.
Let's all show up on Friday, January the twenty fourth.
We're so grateful for Jay what he's doing for us
here and excited about what this means for the community.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Very cool, and I will be at the Easily location
on Friday starting by nine thirty. Hang out for a
couple of hours there. Probably bring the car, buy for
and oil change if you're do it. But the whole
idea is to support the great work that goes on
with the Blood connection. What else do we need to
discuss here? Am I missing something in our time together here?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
You know?
Speaker 3 (17:11):
I just want to flag you know that for donors
they often wonder, you know, where does the blood go?
How does it get tested? And let me just give
a little light on that sure. So we bring that
into some of our labs. We're going to test the
blood and make sure that it's safe, make sure that
we tell you as the donor, what type of blood
type you have, right, and then we're going to go
and send that out to the local hospitals that need it.
(17:33):
We believe in keeping blood local. That means that when
we're supporting a hospital like Spartanburg Regional like and Med
like Prisma Health, like Karellian Clinic in Virginia, like so
many others, we want that blood to stay in that community.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, we want your blood.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
To supply someone here that has a motorcycle accident, that's
going through cancer a chemotherapy. That's what we want because
it's really a community giving back to itself. So we
keep blood local. So if you're going to one of
these drives on Friday, January the twenty fourth with Jay
guil Strap and the Blood Connection, let me assure you
we are the sole blood provider.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
For the Upstate.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
We support over one hundred and thirty plus healthcare partners.
You don't have to worry about where your blood's going.
It's not going to be leaving it's going to stay
right here and help someone in need. And that means
that whether you're at Prisma, whether you're at Spartanburg Regional
or any other hospital here, you're going to have blood
products because of the community, and they're going.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
To be grateful for you. We're going to be grateful
for you.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
And we're just proud of community partners like Jay Guilstrap,
like you here Bill, that are partnering with us to
explain the need, explain why we need more than three
percent of eligible donors going out and giving blood, Why
it's important for all of us just to take a
few minutes out of our day to give back to
give some blood. We can do this together. We can
overcome what we're seeing and we can overcome all the
(18:53):
you know, the ideas or negative thoughts around giving blood
is a bad thing.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
It's not. It's easy.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's a fun process. Our team's gonna you know, you're
gonna fall in love with our team. That's one thing
we hear from our donors. They love seeing the same
text every time they come in and they become like family.
We're gonna be asking about how you're doing, what that
pet project is, what that hobby is how your kids
are doing. We want to know about you. You're not
just another number to us. You're a person. You're a
person that's a community hero, one of our local life savers.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
As you're listening to the show early this morning, on
this beautiful Whistleland weekend, they give it a think. Okay,
after we're done with our discussion here, Matt, we just
go online for a minute, okay and look up the
Blood Connection dot org or follow them on social media
as I do, and see the great work they do.
It is the window to everything you need to know
about becoming one of those heroes that we need here
(19:43):
at home and be a part of that growing percentage
of people who are saying, you know what, I can
give the gift of life and I'm gonna do it
with the Blood Connection because they do it and they
make it so darn easy for us here to do it.
And man, I'm thankful for people like you, I really am.
You're doing a great job of explaining the mission of
the Blood Connection.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
We appreciate it, and we can only accomplish our mission
through donors. So if you're out there you're listening to us,
will you commit this year will you commit that you'll
not only give blood, but whether you're going to your
local church, your local rotary club, whatever your affiliation is,
whatever that club is, would y'all consider hosting a blood
drive with us. Will y'all be our partner, Will y'all
(20:23):
join with us. We want to come out there, We
want to meet you, We want to talk with you,
shake your hand and thank you for being a hero.
You know, the last thing I want to tell your
donors is just one more story about what.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
It means to be a donor.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Yeah, you know, we had a lady who had just
given birth and unfortunately she was having a trauma. She
was bleeding out while she was on the table after
giving birth. But thanks to a donor, thanks to someone
who stepped up weeks before they had made a donation,
we had tested their blood, we had sent it to
the local hospital. There was a blood product available for
(20:56):
that mom that was able to change her outcome and
give her another chance at life. And she got to
see her child grow up, get to see them walk, run, play,
go to school, all those things that we take for
granted every day because of a donor, and it was
our privilege, it was it was humbling to see them
meet and get to thank each other for what they did.
(21:17):
That's what your donation can do. You can save lives
with us, You can make a difference, but only if
you show up, only if you donate, only if you
host a blood drive with us.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
We need you this year.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Well said and thanks for being with us.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Absolutely thank you for having us today. We appreciate you.
Ellis & Bradley News
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