One prick and you are giving life to someone who may be fighting for their own. On Saturday, March 18, from 10am-3pm, Sabriya’s Castle of Fun Foundation (SCFF) will holding their blood drive at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.
SCFF was created in honor of Danny and Aline Bakewell Sr.’s daughter, Sabriya Bakewell, after she passed away from leukemia at the age of 17. This bi-annual blood drive was created to both honor Sabriya’s life and help save lives. SCFF is a non-profit organization that has been offering “Fun Therapy” and supportive services to children with leukemia, sickle cell disease and other chronic blood diseases since 1992.
“We are very excited to share Sabriya’s legacy and memory with our friends, family and community,” said Pamela Bakewell president of SCFF and EVP/COO of the Bakewell Co. and the L.A. Sentinel.
It is always an important endeavor when it comes to giving blood but one most people avoid. Why? Fear—of needles that is or general misinformation altogether. If you are a first-time donor, after the initial pinch of the needle, the process is over. Also, there are benefits to giving blood which include:
-donating a unit of blood, regulates your iron levels
-healthier psyche from doing a noble act
-community engagement
You can show your support by putting out the word to your friends and family to donate blood. There is a serious shortage of blood for children of color, so join the effort to help our children. There are certain blood types, which carry specific antigens found in people of African descent or non-African descent. Black children need blood from Black donors, who are struggling with certain blood-related disorders such as Sickle Cell Anemia.
Patients with Sickle Cell disease require frequent blood transfusions and have different requirements with blood donors that do not have C, E, and K red cell proteins. About 50% of African Americans are CEK-negative, compared to less than 1% of the general population. SCF makes it a priority to get people to donate blood because of the need.
Everyone is welcomed to give blood which is the same color everywhere—red. If you are 17 or older, then you can donate but you must provide valid photo id, weigh more than 110 pound and be well hydrated. The annual event continuously makes an effort to get the public to donate life-saving blood.
“You do not have to be African American to match an African American donor,” said Bakewell. “We’re asking people of color to come out because sometimes we do have rare blood—especially for sickle cell patients.”
“I’m a patient who gets blood every three weeks,” stated Misty Williams Marshall, founder of the Misty Melony Sickle Cell Disease Foundation.
“We just want people to keep coming out.”
Sabriya’s Castle of Fun Foundation hopes to continue making a huge difference with their annual blood drive and with the help of the community that will be possible.
Come out and donate blood on Saturday, March 18 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza located at 3650 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd in Los Angeles, CA.
Sabriya’s Castle of Fun Foundation is in partnership with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Mothers in Action, L.A., Councilmember Curren Price, L.A. Urban League Young Professionals, The Brotherhood Crusade, Bank of America, HPP Cares, Misty Melony Sickle Cell Disease Foundation, Radio Free KJLH and Kappa Alpha Psi.
We would ask that the community come out to support Sabriya’s memory by giving and donating blood to other children in need,” said Bakewell
Sign up to volunteer the day of the event by clicking this link: http://www.sabriyascastle.org/blood-drives.html.
Brian W. Carter contributed to this article.
