Danyel Pitts was a kind, honest and caring woman who passed away from breast cancer in January 2020. Danyel was a devoted wife, friend and beloved track coach at Springfield Southeast High School. During her battle with cancer, she received blood transfusions while undergoing chemotherapy.
Danyel’s husband, Calvin Pitts serves as a board member for the American Red Cross South Central Illinois Chapter. Calvin understands the importance of diverse donors to help those battling illnesses, and he invites you to donate blood and help save lives in Danyel’s memory.
Friday, April 22 | Noon to 6 p.m.
NAACP Office Building · Chapter Room
801 S 11th St
Springfield, IL 62703
Make an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Blood donors who are Black play a critical role in helping people with sickle cell disease, the most common genetic blood disease in the U.S. Patients with the disease may rely on regular blood transfusions throughout their lives to help prevent sickle cell complications, such as organ and tissue damage, severe pain, and strokes. It is essential that the blood they receive be the most compatible match possible, which generally comes from someone of the same race or similar ethnicity.
Today, there aren’t enough blood donors to help meet this urgent need. African American individuals make up 13% of the U.S. population, but less than 3% of blood donors. By donating blood, you may make a difference in the lives of patients with sickle cell disease as well as moms with complicated childbirths, people fighting cancer, accident or trauma victims being raced to emergency rooms, and more.
The need for blood is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. The Red Cross collects 40% of the nation’s blood supply. All Red Cross blood drive and donation centers follow the highest standards of safety and infection control.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
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