MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan, (Aug. 23, 2019) -- The American and Japanese Red Cross societies came together for a biannual blood drive at the Marine Memorial Chapel at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Aug. 21, 2019.
The two organizations worked together to attract more volunteers to donate blood. Since the first joint blood drive, the number of U.S. service members, station residents and Japanese master labor contractors and indirect hire agreement employees who donate has risen.
“This joint event was a way that we could bring the opportunity of blood donation to the base community and really work with our local community,” said Rebecca Gosselin, the regional program manager at the American Red Cross. “By having us come in and support the event, it allowed it to be a larger event than it would be otherwise.”
Ninety seven volunteers showed up to donate blood for the local community. All together eighty seven people donated approximately 34,800 milliliters of blood at the blood drive.
The Japanese Red Cross handled the collection and the utilization of the blood donated. Any blood that was collected from the donors goes to the local community off base.
“I wanted to donate blood because I wanted to give back to the Japanese community that is hosting us here,” said Marisa Keeler, an employee with the Personal and Professional Development Program. “I think that the local community is so wonderful and generous for letting us be here and live in Iwakuni and I want to give back for that.”