KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Donors who give to the MEDIC Regional Blood Center this week won't just be helping to save lives. They will also be helping raise funds to find a cure for Alzheimer's.
"We Back Pat Week" kicked off Monday at MEDIC, and will last through Feb. 12. Donors will receive a special edition t-shirt this week, and the blood center will donate $5 to the Pat Summitt Foundation per person who gives blood.
The foundation works to help find a cure for Alzheimer's by funding grants to organizations that research ways to treat the disease, educate people about its onset and support patients with it.
Pat Summitt was diagnosed with Alzheimer's before she died when she was 64 years old, in 2016.
The MEDIC Regional Blood Center said that it is in critical need of 'O-' and 'O+' blood. People who want to give blood can schedule an appointment online to give blood at an office, or at a mobile drive.