COLUMBIA, S.C. — Midlands Technical College is holding a blood drive named after the one of their instructors who passed away from COVID-19 last month.
The event honoring Shirley Bannister will be held Oct. 13-14.
Bannister was 57-years-old when she passed away last Sunday. She had been leading the MTC nursing department for 7 years.
According to MTC, Shirley Bannister spent her life helping others. She earned her nursing degree from Midlands Technical College and later went on to earn a master’s degree. She returned to the school to teach nursing and became chair of the MTC Nursing Department.
Shirley Bannister is the mother of Demetria Bannister, the third grade teacher at Windsor Elementary in Columbia who died at the age of 28 earlier this month.
According to the release, Bannister was also well-known to the local Red Cross and worked many blood drives with them.
The college has now named the blood drive happening mid-October after the late Bannister.
The Shirley Bannister Memorial Blood Drive will be held Tuesday, October 13 or Wednesday, October 14 at the Airport Campus Student Center. A donation usually takes about an hour and can save the lives of three people.
According to MTC, safety protocols will be in place to ensure social distancing and proper cleaning. Registration is required, and all participants will be required to wear a face covering.
According to the release, all donors for the month of October are entered for a chance to win one of five $1,000 Amazon e-gift cards, and donors will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies.
