Stories from the Edge | Donating Just One Pint of Blood Can Change Dozens of Lives…Forever!
Hear why Zebras are compelled to step up (and sit down) in support of the Red Cross.
Editor's Note: This post and video were originally published October 23, 2019. The post (only) was updated June 14, 2024.
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From a young age, we’re told that giving blood is a good thing to do. But I think it’s hard to really appreciate how much “good” is done every time we donate a single pint of blood until we’ve personally experienced its positive and far reaching impact.
For example, we may know that each blood donation can potentially save more than one life. However, giving blood is about more than giving the gift of life to another person. It’s about giving the gift of hope, joy and love to the dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people that are connected to the patient receiving the blood – whether for another day, decade or longer. In the short time that it takes to give, the generosity of blood donors can forever change the lives of the friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members of patients whose lives have been saved.
That is why such a seemingly small – and even routine – act of good is such a big deal.
Especially here at Zebra.
As individuals, many of us know someone who has needed blood. Or we know that, one day, we may need the donations of others to survive or thrive.
As a company, we know that healthcare is where we can dive deepest into human welfare. That’s why our support for the American Red Cross comes naturally – and why we’ve made healthcare a philanthropic focus area.
At the Red Cross, the mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in times of emergency. Their commitment to the communities they serve extends from emergency preparedness to disaster relief and blood services, in particular.
Here at Zebra, our team has spent the last 50+ years focused on improving patient outcomes with technology. A lot of our healthcare work is centered around ensuring the right patient gets the right care at the right time. We also work with physicians, nurses, phlebotomists and other healthcare providers on a daily basis to ensure they have all the tools they need to better people’s lives, not just technology. A stocked blood bank is one of those tools. But only one. Watch this:
As you saw in the video, blood drives are common at Zebra’s offices. In fact, we completed one of the largest drives when the #MissingTypes campaign was underway a few years back. According to Susan Westerfield, regional philanthropy officer, American Red Cross, Zebra was considered one of the most engaged companies out of all first-year lead partners. We even drove more click-throughs to our campaign link than some well-known (and well-connected) companies that also participated in the campaign.
I’m not telling you this because I want to brag. We don’t view any of our CSR efforts, much less our Red Cross support, as a competition.
Our partnership with the Red Cross is just further evidence of Zebra’s deep commitment to bettering the lives of others, a commitment that has taken – and will continue to take – many forms:
· Making or advocating for lifesaving blood donations
· Providing cash donations in times of immense need, like in the wake of a natural disaster or geopolitical conflict
· Packing comfort kits and first aids kits that to be distributed in disaster relief efforts
· And more!
In short, this Stories from the Edge video offers just a glimpse at the synergy we’ve found with the Red Cross. We are sincerely grateful for our relationship with this lifesaving and life-changing organization, as it gives us many opportunities to drive Zebra’s philanthropic mission: to do a world of good, one community at a time.
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You may also be interested in the other ways we’re helping organizations like the Red Cross, local blood banks, and healthcare providers reduce waste in the blood supply chain:
How to Stop Blood Supply Waste as Demand Rises and Donations Fall
With blood donations at a critically low level, certain steps must be taken to ensure every accepted unit is properly handled, stored and distributed. Here are the very specific ways technology can help.
Thousands of blood banks are starting to rely on irreversible temperature indicators to confirm blood products have not become too warm during refrigeration, storage and transport. Find out why.
How to Check If Blood Samples Stayed Chilled Out in Transit
It’s never good when your blood is boiling. But it’s worse when blood samples are spoiled, and no one knows it.
Rob Armstrong
Robert (Rob) Armstrong became Chief Marketing Officer, Zebra Technologies in March 2023. Rob has over 20 years of experience in the B2B technology sector and joined Zebra in 2014.
Throughout his career, he has held various go-to-market leadership roles, most recently serving as Zebra’s Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing & Channels. In this role, Rob oversaw go-to-market strategy and downstream marketing execution for the full Zebra portfolio, inclusive of customer segment, product, and digital marketing; channel and brand strategies; media relations; pricing; and analytics. During this time, he led a diverse, high-performing team of marketing and channel professionals to drive preference globally and evolve the perception of the Zebra brand in over 100 countries in collaboration with more than 10,000 partners in Zebra’s growing channel ecosystem.
Prior to joining Zebra, Rob held various global and regional roles across product development, business development, operations, and marketing at Motorola Solutions, including assignments in Asia Pacific and Europe. Rob has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and he currently serves as a board member for Bernie’s Book Bank and FIRST Illinois Robotics.
