National Blood Donor Month

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 26-1003

BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Duran and Caldwell, Bacon, Barron, Boesenecker, Bottoms, Bradfield, Bradley, Brooks, Brown, Camacho, Carter, Clifford, DeGraaf, English, Espenoza, Flanell, Froelich, Garcia, Garcia Sander, Gilchrist, Goldstein, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Jackson, Johnson, Joseph, Keltie, Lieder, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, Marshall, Martinez, Mauro, McCormick, Nguyen, Phillips, Richardson, Ricks, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Slaugh, Smith, Soper, Stewart K., Stewart R., Story, Taggart, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Weinberg, Winter T., Woodrow, Woog, Zokaie, McCluskie; also SENATOR(S) Mullica, Amabile, Baisley, Ball, Bridges, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Danielson, Daugherty, Exum, Frizell, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Lindstedt, Liston, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Roberts, Rodriguez, Simpson, Snyder, Sullivan, Wallace, Weissman, Zamora Wilson, Coleman.

CONCERNING NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH.

WHEREAS, More than 55 years ago, January was first designated as National Blood Donor Month to honor voluntary blood donors and encourage more people to donate blood at a time when blood supplies are historically low; and WHEREAS, Vitalant has been serving the community with the collection and distribution of lifesaving blood and ·blood products to patients for more than 80 years; and WHEREAS, In our communities, the need for a diverse blood supply is constant, but the supply is not, making volunteer blood donors the foundation for ensuring a safe and stable supply ofblood available to help meet the medical needs of patients; and

WHEREAS, A blood transfusion occurs in the United States every two seconds, but only 3% of the age-eligible population donates blood; and WHEREAS, Type O blood is often used in trauma situations, making it the most needed blood type and most likely to be in short supply during a blood emergency; and WHEREAS, Patients requiring blood transfusions include cancer patients; accident, burn, and trauma victims; newborn babies and their mothers; transplant recipients; surgery patients; chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia; and many more; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth Genera/Assembly ofthe State ofColorado, the Senate concurring herein: That we, the members of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly, hereby recognize the month of January as National Blood Donor Month in the State of Colorado. We hereby urge all citizens to celebrate the cause of blood donation and recognize volunteer blood donors for their generous gifts. We further urge all eligible blood donors to donate regularly, and we encourage businesses and organizations throughout the State of Colorado to sponsor community-based blood drives with Vitalant, among oth,er blood centers, and provide citizens of our state with the opportunity to give.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to Vitalant Denver Donation Center, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Julie McCluskie SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

James Rashad Coleman Sr. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

Vanessa Reilly CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Esther van Mourik SECRETARY OF THE SENATE