In honor of Black History Month, BAM will be hosting a Blood Drive for our One Microsoft community. It is imperative for our organization to pledge to donate during the month of February for a number of reasons:

-The need for blood donors is at all an all-time high during this pandemic, but there is currently a crisis and not enough donors to meet this need.

-About 70% of African Americans have O or B Blood Type, the highest in demand. Therefore, this community is often disproportionately affected when there is a blood donor shortage.

Not only is there a tremendous need, but there’s also reason to celebrate the contributions of black innovators throughout history and pay homage to one of the most influential contributors to the medical community! Dr. Charles Drew is considered to be the “Father of Blood Banks,” discovering long term storage solutions for blood plasma and creating the very first blood bank in his “Blood for Britain Project” during World War II.

We hope to encourage as much participation as we possibly can in such a crucial time, as well as to take action and do some good as we honor the revolutionary efforts of Dr. Charles Drew!