Billy Bob’s, Carter BloodCare host ‘social distancing’ blood drive
FORT WORTH, Texas - The need for blood donations are at a critical level, but the need for social distancing has canceled most blood drives.
But on Friday, Billy Bob's Texas and Carter Bloodcare came up with a compromise. The nightclub, which is closed for patrons right now, opened up to bring in donors.
Social distancing was built into the sprawling set-up.
“This is a little bit different than our normal set-up because we want to make sure we’re keeping everybody far apart as we can through the process,” said Colleen Horan, Carter BloodCare.

Within 10 minutes of starting, a steady stream of donors began to show up. After signing in, donors had to pass a strict medical screening. From sign in to finish, the process averaged about 45 minutes.
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“A lot of people afraid and don’t want to leave their homes. This, honestly is probably the cleanest thing you could possibly do,” said blood donor Paul Steeves.
Carter BloodCare officials said every donor helps mitigate the current blood shortage in a national emergency.
“A lot of the blood that comes in this time of year comes from our high schools and colleges, those are our biggest blood drives. They account for 25 to 30 percent of all the blood we take in throughout the year. So when we don’t have our high schools and colleges happening that’s a big hole to fill,” Horan said.
Diane McCusker says she saw it as a worthy reason to leave home.
“I’ve donated blood for years and years and I think it’s a good cause, especially now,” McCusker said.