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Sam Mbugua,a Kenyan Community leader in New England and one of the Kenyan MLK blood donation event founder reclines on a chair inside the Red Cross mobile bus getting ready to donate blood. Pic Sam Mwaura/Samrack Media Lowell,Massachusetts
Kenyans & Americans Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day by Donating Blood
By Sam Mwaura/Samrack Media
Americans and Kenyans living in the greater Lowell,Massachusetts gathered at St Stephens Church Lowell in memory of the life of Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
Donors and others in attendance were offered two ways to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement and give back to the community through blood donation.
The St Stephen’s Church Lowell and Red Cross Blood drive was held on on January 16th 2017 Martin Luther King day from 1 pm to 6Pm
According to the Red Cross “Every 8 minutes the American Red Cross responds to an emergency” and thus donating Blood makes a huge difference in the lives of others who are in need.
This was the Third Annual Blood Drive and our 15th Blood drive since we launched the drive for Kenyans on Martin Luther Kings day said Sam Mbugua an original founder member of the MLK blood drive in conjunction with the Red Cross.
One could schedule appointment online or just show up at the St Stephen’s hall Church down stairs and register where they met Dr.Ngigi and Prof.Kinyanjui and others to help with the registration process.
The Successful event attracted both Kenyan -Americans and Americans living in the greater Lowell region of which 70% in attendance were Americans who registered online and came early to donate blood.
The donors were then given a $5 dollar Dunkin Donuts card and then offered snack,fruits and mandazis and refreshment at the St Stephens Church hall.
Speaking to one American donor,she came to donate blood as her mother was a few years diagnosed with Leukemia( cancer of blood cells or bone marrow) and recently benefited from a generous blood donor and thus the need to give back to the community by donating blood.
The event is held annually on Martin Luther King Jr Day at the St Stephens church Lowell, Massachusetts in conjunction with Red Cross who are responsible for processing all the paperwork,registration,the screening,donation and the storage of the blood collected which is then transferred to a blood bank.
A special thank you from St Stephens Church,the founders of the Kenyan MLK Blood donation,the Red Cross,the event organizers, all the donors and all those who played a role to make this noble charitable cause a huge Success,not forgetting celebrating and honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and to provide blood to patients in our community.
