Costa Enterprises McDonald’s will host the OneBlood Big Red Bus for a blood drive on Monday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their Niceville restaurant located at 1090 John Sims Parkway.
All donors will receive a complimentary COVID-19 Antibody Test in addition to the regularly administered wellness checkup consisting of blood pressure, pulse, temperature and iron count, including cholesterol screening. Those planning to donate can schedule an appointment ahead of time by visiting https://donor.oneblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/992748.
All donors will also receive two pairs of OneBlood Cancer Awareness Socks and a $10 eGift card as well as a voucher for one free small fry to be used at any Costa Enterprises McDonald’s locations.
The antibody test is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the virus, regardless of whether they ever showed symptoms. Donors will be able to see their results approximately 48 hours after donating by logging into their donor portal at www.oneblood.org.
OneBlood is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community asset responsible for providing safe, available and affordable blood. Generally healthy people ages 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds and have a valid photo ID can donate blood.
One in three people will need blood in their lifetime. Blood that is donated on September 21 will likely be transfused within two to three days. The turn-around is that fast, the need is constant. Many potential blood donors believe that they cannot donate blood due to medical or other reasons. If you are curious if you are a candidate for donation or to learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type, visit oneblood.org.