INDIANAPOLIS — On a bus outside the MLK Center on W 40th Street, workers with Versiti Blood Center of Indiana prepared packs for donated blood on Saturday.
"I took a little pinch for the team," Cheryl Stone said.
Cheryl Stone was among dozens who stopped by, hoping her blood can help people of different ethnicities who may need it more.
"We have a lot of things that other ethnicities don't have. So, I want to be able to give back anyway I can," Stone said.
Certain health conditions can be far more common in some groups than others.
For example, Sickle Cell. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, about 1 in 13 African American babies are born with the trait. One in every 365 are born with the disease.
"It's debilitating so yes it actually can be fatal," said Tanisha Hackett.
Hackett has sickle cell disease and over her lifetime has gone through three transfusions. She says it's crucial to have more minorities donate blood to have proper matches when it's needed.
"When I'm alerted that the blood transfusion is needed, it does take a little bit of time before the blood transfusion actually takes places so it can be the next day or the day after so again, I think the issue is just trying to find a good match," Hackett said.
"It's not just enough to have an alphabet type blood we need minority blood because of the antigen," added Carlene Heeter.
If you need resources for Sickle Cell, you can click here.
Those that wish to donate and may have missed Saturday's drive can donate here.