If you want to be of service to the community, then plan on participating in UTM's next blood drive.

The Lifeline Bloodmobile will visit the university from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 4-5, on Wayne Fisher Drive next to the UC. All donors will receive a T-shirt.

According to a Lifeline press release, 26,000 units of blood are needed each year in West Tennessee alone to help save the lives of patients in local hospitals. Nationally, more than 14 million units of blood are needed.

However, only five percent of eligible donors actually choose to donate. According to Lifeline, one of the biggest reasons for not giving blood is that people often believe that others are giving enough and therefore do not take the responsibility upon themselves. Lifeline officials say the responsibility for an adequate blood supply should be shared by all.

“If healthy people don’t give and continue to give blood, then it simply will not be available when patients need it,” said Tonya Herod, director of community services for Lifeline, which is the official blood supplier to patients in Volunteer Community Hospital in Martin and 18 other West Tennessee hospitals.

“When you give blood through Lifeline, your blood stays here in West Tennessee hospitals,” said Cherie Hale, public relations director for Lifeline. “In other words, Lifeline Blood Services means West Tennessee donors giving blood for West Tennessee hospitals.

“Our community is great. We all know how hard most people work to keep it that way,” Hale said. “We have great business leaders, teachers, public service professionals and many others who contribute to the well-being of Weakley County and West Tennessee.”

However, she said, people must remember that health care, particularly blood donation, is one area where volunteer effort and commitment remains extremely vital.