A community-wide blood drive in memory of Malik Sparkman will be held Monday, July 13, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Central Square Complex as part of the Badges for Life Blood Drive, an annual event hosted by local first responders and law enforcement.
18-year-old Sparkman was a star Trojan’s linebacker for Coffee High School before he lost his battle with cancer on May 17. In what became a national story that went viral, his teammates said goodbye by carrying his casket through the Trojan’s field tunnel. His young life was tragically cut short as he was being recruited to Florida State University.
Malik suffered from renal medullary carcinoma, a rare type of kidney cancer often associated with the sickle cell trait. Many cancer patients like Malik depend on blood transfusions during their cancer treatments. Many radiation and chemotherapies deplete the body’s platelet count, and transfusions are vital to keeping cancer patients alive.
All blood donors will receive a free Badges for Life t-shirt, free wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, pulse, iron count and cholesterol screening. Plus, all donors are eligible for door prizes.
For more information, call 1.888.9.DONATE (1.888.936.6283) or to make an appointment please visit www.oneblood.org/badges.
– Submitted copy