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WORKING TOGETHER TO SAVE LIVES
As the oldest blood bank in the state of Florida, and one of the oldest nonprofit blood centers in the entire country, SunCoast Blood Bank (SCBB) continues to cultivate a close-knit community of givers for those direly in need. Celebrating their 71st Anniversary this month, its tireless mission to collect, test, process, match, store and distribute a reliable supply of blood products, has continually served our community for decades.
When O.K. Fike and Dr. Millard White founded what was formerly known as Lower West Coast Blood Bank in February 1949, they planted the seeds of a humanitarian idea that would blossom over the next seven decades. For more than 70 years, tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers have helped provide the critical lifesaving gift of blood to local hospitals and patients. In its inaugural year, the blood bank collected 551 pints of blood, now called “units.”
Today, more than 1,000 blood drives are held in the region annually, and more than 40,000 units are collected. But what really sets SCBB apart from other blood banks is its local presence—blood bank board and management live in the communities it serves, and focuses on personalized and sincere interactions with every donor. The backbone of the nonprofit remains its continued support from blood donors, financial donors and volunteers. Its success has, and continues, to rely entirely on the generosity of its loyal and steadfast donors.
