IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Some employees at Mag Instrument Inc. rolled up their sleeves Thursday for a good cause, as the Ontario-company sponsored its first-ever blood drive.
Thirty six units, or pints, were collected during the five-hour event, a good turnout for early summer, said Julie Ruff, director of donor recruitment for LifeStream, the non-profit blood donation center in San Bernardino that conducted the event.
Summer is a rough time for collecting blood: Donations fall off because people take vacations or otherwise get out of their normal routines, yet demand is at its highest. That’s why LifeStream, like all blood banks, typically increases its collection efforts this time of year.
The drive was held at Mag Instrument’s parking lot at 2001 S. Hellman Ave. For a first effort it was an unqualified success, according to Ruff.
“Anything we get helps, but between 30 and 50 units at an event like this is right in our wheelhouse,” Ruff said. “That’s a home run. We would love to go back [to Mag Instrument] and do this again.”
Mag Instrument employees made most of the donations, although some outsiders did show up to donate. All donors are eligible to win a Harley Davidson motorcycle that Lifestream will give out in August.
All of the blood collected will be sent to Inland Empire hospitals, Ruff said.
