Eighty-eight members of the MTSU community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors and friends from across Middle Tennessee stepped up Sept. 2 to save lives, support their favorite military divisions and honor Sept. 11 victims at the university’s 2021 “Battle of the Branches” blood drive.

Their dedication resulted in 80 fresh pints of blood to be distributed among patients in the 10 counties served by the American Red Cross Heart of Tennessee chapter: Rutherford, Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Franklin, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore and Warren counties.

Those donors’ blood and blood products also can be shared with the rest of Tennessee’s 95 counties, people in Arkansas and Mississippi, and nationwide if necessary.

Because each unit of blood can aid as many as three different patients, the MTSU donors are helping more than 225 people in the community.

MTSU School of Nursing secretary Kim Floyd-Tune, left, watches as American Red Cross phlebotomist Marielys Rodriguez carefully checks her blood pressure before Floyd-Tune donates a pint of blood at the university’s annual “Battle of the Branches” blood drive Sept. 2 in the Keathley University Center. Donors from across the campus and surrounding community gave 80 pints of blood to help as many as 225 people across the region and state. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Gene Baker, senior account manager for donor resources at the American Red Cross Tennessee Region offices in Nashville, had high praise for each of the people who took time to help their neighbors at the MTSU drive.

“An awesome job Thursday!!!” Baker said in an enthusiastic email. “Eighty units collected, (which was) 115% of our goal, potentially helping save 229 lives!!!

“In addition, and most importantly, (we had) 28 FIRST-TIME DONORS!! Incredible!! Our patients owe you a debt of gratitude!!”

You can watch a thank-you video to the community above.

During the Sept. 2 event, co-sponsored by the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at MTSU, the MTSU Red Cross Club and the Department of Health and Human Performance, donors could once again “vote” for their favorite branch of the U.S. military — U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines or Navy — to pay tribute to service members.

The branch with the most donor votes earns “bragging rights” on campus for the next year. This year’s winner will be announced Saturday, Nov. 13, at the MTSU Blue Raiders’ annual “Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces” football game at Floyd Stadium.

The annual “Battle of the Branches” drive is a friendly campus competition to encourage more blood donations and thank active-duty and retired military members for their service.

The 2021 drive also was one of more than 50 statewide first-responder efforts, called “Remember the Badges,” to collect 2,977 pints of blood drive in each state in honor of the lost lives and to continue rebuilding blood supplies decimated by pandemic-canceled drives.

The next MTSU blood drive is set Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 1-3, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Campus Recreation Center, 1848 Blue Raider Drive.

Organizers are urging donors to make appointments for that three-day drive to help staffers process their blood more quickly.

More appointment information will be available soon here, and donors can use the “American Red Cross Blood” app or text “BLOODAPP” to 90999. Walk-in donors also will be welcome.

For more information about donating blood for the American Red Cross, visit http://redcrossblood.org anytime.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)

Tom Wallace, MTSU associate vice-president for information technology, gives a thumbs-up while waiting to donate a pint of blood at the university’s annual “Battle of the Branches” blood drive Sept. 2 in the Keathley University Center. Donors from across the campus and surrounding community gave 80 pints of blood to help as many as 225 people across the region and state. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Prospective donors gather to get and give information to American Red Cross volunteers at MTSU’s annual “Battle of the Branches” blood drive Sept. 2 in the Keathley University Center. At center, alumni Ricky and Margaret Smith share their appointment time and other check-in details with donor ambassador Shawn Tengowski as donor ambassador Michael Braitwaite looks on. Alumna Carrie Altizer, seated at left, checks information on her phone before her donation while Rick Chapman, standing at center right, director of MTSU’s Student Health Services, looks at his own phone. Donors from across the campus and surrounding community gave 80 pints of blood to help as many as 225 people across the region and state. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Be red, white and ‘True Blue’: Donate blood Sept. 2 at MTSU ‘Battle of the Branches’

(published Aug. 10, 2021)

MTSU will mark Sept. 11 by helping save lives in a red, white and “True Blue’” fashion again this year, encouraging both the campus and community to join the annual “Battle of the Branches” blood drive set for Thursday, Sept. 2.

Click on the poster to see a larger version.

The blood drive, co-sponsored by the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at MTSU, the MTSU Red Cross Club and the Department of Health and Human Performance, is set from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 2 in Room 322 of the Keathley University Center, located at 1524 Military Memorial Drive in the central section of campus.

This year’s blood drive, which salutes the 2,977 lives lost in the day of terrorist attacks on America as well as the first responders who rushed to help, marks both the 20th anniversary of that event and the 110th anniversary of MTSU’s Sept. 11 founding.

Donors can make an appointment today for Sept. 2 by visiting the Red Cross website, using the Red Cross Blood app or by texting “BLOODAPP” to 90999. Walk-in donors also are welcome.

A campus parking map is available here. Off-campus donors can obtain a one-day permit at www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php, park in the university’s Rutherford Boulevard Lot, and ride the Raider Xpress shuttle to its stop near the KUC.

The “Battle of the Branches” is a friendly campus competition to encourage more blood donations and thank active-duty and retired military members for their service.

This year’s drive also is one of more than 50 statewide first-responder efforts, called “Remember the Badges,” to collect 2,977 pints of blood drive in each state in honor of the lost lives and to continue rebuilding blood supplies decimated by pandemic-canceled drives.

Each donor can vote for a U.S. military branch — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard — during their visit. The branch with the largest number of donors will have bragging rights until next year’s blood drive.

The winning branch also will be recognized at MTSU’s Nov. 13 “Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces” football game.

MTSU’s blood drive is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and neighbors across Middle Tennessee. Each donor will receive a free T-shirt onsite and a coupon via email for a free haircut from SportClips.

MTSU nursing student Taylor Shanklin, right, talks with American Red Cross nurse Nezzy Jaber as Shanklin prepares to donate blood at MTSU’s fall 2020 “Bleed Blue to Beat the COVID-19 Blues” blood drive in this file photo. MTSU will mark Sept. 11 with its annual “Battle of the Branches” blood drive set for Thursday, Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 322 of the Keathley University Center. (MTSU file photo by Andy Heidt)

The Red Cross is again requiring all blood donors to wear masks while giving blood. Red Cross staffers also wear masks to protect donors, volunteers, co-workers and guests.

Donors who’ve recovered from the coronavirus or have been vaccinated also are needed to provide their antibody-laden plasma to treat patients currently battling the virus.

Blood supplies remain critically low nationwide because of drives canceled by both coronavirus and inclement weather. Some Red Cross chapters have less than a day’s worth of blood available for their area hospitals.

For tips on preparing for a blood donation, visit the Red Cross website. To learn about the Daniels Veterans Center at MTSU, visit www.mtsu.edu/military.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)

Rodney Francis of Murfreesboro, Tenn., prepares to donate blood with the help of an American Red Cross technician at MTSU’s 2020 “Bleed Blue to Beat the COVID-19 Blues” blood drive in this file photo. MTSU will mark Sept. 11 with its annual “Battle of the Branches” blood drive set for Thursday, Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 322 of the Keathley University Center. (MTSU file photo by Andy Heidt)