ST. PAUL, Minn., March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Memorial Blood Centers (MBC), Minnesota's oldest and largest nonprofit
community blood center, today announced the receipt of a
$5,000 grant from Ameriprise
Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) that will be used to benefit patients
served by Metro area hospitals.
"For the third consecutive year, Ameriprise Financial has again
demonstrated its confidence in Memorial Blood Centers and its
support for our mission to help save lives through blood donation,"
Larry Silber, Memorial Blood
Centers' Development and Community Relations Officer said. "Thanks
to this generous 2012 award, we now will be able to implement new
and innovative communication strategies with blood drive sponsors
and individual donors throughout the 11-county Metro area. We aim
to increase the visibility of our blood drives among both current
and potential new donors, generate awareness of the need for blood
donations, and engage more members of the community in becoming
regular blood donors. And to achieve those goals as efficiently and
effectively as possible, we will be maximizing the use of
technology and relying heavily on social media to reach new
audiences and expand our life-saving work."
As a community resource, MBC relies on the generosity of
individuals and organizations to help fulfill its mission. Blood is
a basic need for life. And because blood cannot be synthetically
made, only volunteer blood donors can help ensure a readily
available supply to meet the needs of over 30 area hospital
partners and the patients in need.
Ameriprise Financial has been a trusted MBC partner for over 40
years. Annually co-sponsoring 12 blood drives, members of the Blood
Drive Committee routinely invite new hires to participate in the
company's "culture of giving" and actively encourage all employees
to take time out of their workday to donate. Ameriprise Financial
consistently ranks among MBC's Top 20 blood drive sponsors, with
yearly blood donations averaging 800 units.
About Memorial Blood Centers
Memorial Blood Centers has been saving lives for over 60
years as an independent nonprofit supplying life-saving blood to
area hospitals and other partners throughout the U.S. Operating 11
donor centers and conducting hundreds of blood drives each month,
Memorial Blood Centers also provides comprehensive testing and
expert technical services as a national leader in transfusion
medicine. www.MBC.org.
All eligible blood donors are encouraged to give generously. To
make an appointment, call 1-888-GIVE-BLD or register online at
www.MBC.org.
About Ameriprise Financial
Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) is one of the
leading diversified financial services companies in the U.S.,
committed to giving back by supporting organizations whose shared
goal is to improve the lives of individuals from all walks of life.
www.ameriprise.com
SOURCE Memorial Blood Centers