Blood drive held with focus on patients impacted by sickle cell anemia

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A major blood drive was held on Monday at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA.

Local chapters of 11 national African American organizations came together to sponsor the event to help patients impacted by sickle cell anemia.

Sickle cell disproportionately impacts African Americans and some patients require multiple blood transfusions -- which is why the groups pulled together to get people to donate.

"We all seem to be doing our own thing in terms of serving the community. And, we thought we would try and work smarter and not harder by joining forces and coming together to do this blood drive," said Alexis James Seals, Member at Large from the Jack and Jill Eastern Region Foundation.

The organizers of the event included Jack and Jill, The Links, and all nine Black greek letter organizations.