KINGSPORT, Tenn.– Eastman Credit Union (ECU) has made a $295,000 donation to the Ballad Health Foundation for the purchase of a new mobile Marsh Regional Blood Center blood collection unit.
The new collection unit is the second one provided by ECU, which three years ago donated $250,000 to replace an older collection unit. The new 40-foot, four-bed unit will operate five days a week for 52 weeks per year, and will be able to collect 35 units per day. Since 2016, the first unit provided by ECU has served 15,000 donors, and collected 30,000 units of blood.
“It’s part of ECU’s philosophy to give back to the communities we serve,” said Olan O. Jones, Jr., CEO and president of ECU, in a statement. “Marsh touches the lives of everyone within our membership area. Either you or somebody you know has been impacted by the work Marsh does. It’s an honor to be able to provide a new mobile unit that will help to make a difference all around the region.”