Mercedes Benz hosts blood drive in company parking lot

VANCE, Ala. (WBRC) - A parking lot for Mercedes Benz U.S. International in Vance is closed for business due to a temporary shutdown because of the coronavirus.

The company opened it Tuesday to hold a blood drive with LifeSouth Community Blood Center.

“We saw that the blood drives are getting canceled at an unprecedented rate. Right now there’s a need that’s not being filled,” according to Patrick Webber with MBUSI.

People like Adam Castleberry wanted to contribute something in a positive way right now.

“I’m just hopeful people will show up and just give back to the community and do something to help beat the virus," says Castleberry.

LifeSouth brought three buses to the blood drive because their need is great.

“I had heard from several community contacts that DCH and other surrounding hospitals were down to a single day or low day supply of blood supply and we know that we had to act,” Webber continued.

Castleberry felt donating blood was a way to help people who need it or wanted to fight how coronavirus has paralyzed our communities.

“Get this virus and get it under control and get people back to work and back to school things back to normal and get things back to normal,” Casatleberry continued.

Blood donated from Tuesday drive will go to DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa and hospitals in central Alabama.

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