Media release from the American Red Cross:
Local Red Cross Calling for Donors to Help Blood Supply Recovery
Particular need for donors with type O-negative blood
(February 3, 2011) – With this latest round of severe winter storms, the local American Red Cross has been unable to collect over 820 expected pints of blood over the course of the last three days. Over 20 blood drives across the 50 county coverage area were forced to be cancelled throughout the week.
Further compounding the issue, many Red Cross blood drives across the country have also been cancelled and the number of blood donations uncollected due to winter storms over the last several weeks rose to 28,000 since January 1.
“At any given moment we have patients relying on life-saving blood products. And this need is constant, even in emergency situations,” said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross. “The quickest help will come from those local blood donors who are able to safely travel to a blood drive or donor center near them. We are encouraging the public to donate blood and platelets as soon as it is safe to travel in the coming days and weeks.”
All blood types are needed, but there is a particular need for donors with O-negative blood since O-negative can be transfused into patients of all blood types. People are asked to make and keep an appointment to give blood by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or visiting redcrossblood.org.
People have been responding to the call for blood donors, and the Red Cross is grateful to those who are stepping up to donate blood to help build the blood supply back to sufficient levels. The Red Cross distributes blood products to approximately 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the United States.
UPCOMING AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES IN YOUR AREA:
- Saturday, Feb. 5, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Zanesville United Methodist Church in the Fellowship Hall, located at 11811 N. Wayne St. in Zanesville. Please call 638-4108 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Saturday, Feb. 5, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Glenbrook Dodge, located at 100 W. Coliseum in Fort Wayne. Come to donate and receive a free oil change coupon good for up to 5 quarts of non-synthetic oil at Glenbrook Dodge. Please call 482-5377 and ask for the cashier to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Saturday, Feb. 5, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Glenbrook Hyundai, located at 4801 Coldwater Road in Fort Wayne. Come to donate and receive a free oil change coupon good for up to 5 quarts of non-synthetic oil at Glenbrook Hyundai. Please call 484-9531 and ask for the receptionist to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Monday, Feb. 7, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Harlan Christian Youth Center, located at 17308 Second St. in Harlan. Please call 657-5877 to arrange transportation to this blood drive.
- Tuesday, Feb. 8, from 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at Centennial Post Office, located at 2525 Independence Drive in Fort Wayne.
- Tuesday, Feb. 8, from 12:30 p.m. until 3 p.m. at Parkview YMCA. Parkview YMCA is located at 10001 Dawson Creek in Fort Wayne. Please call 497- 9996 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Saturday, Feb. 12, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Fort Wayne Subaru. Fort Wayne Subaru is located at 5000 Illinois Road in Fort Wayne. Please call 432-4567 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Friday, Feb. 11, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Mill Supplies, Inc., located at 5105 Industrial Road in Fort Wayne. Please call 484-8566 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Friday, Feb. 11, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at North Eastern Group Realty, located at 10808 LaCabreah Lane in Fort Wayne. Please call 489-7095, ext. 347 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Sunday, Feb. 13, from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Queen of Angels Catholic Church & School, located at 1500 W. State Blvd. in Fort Wayne. Please call 637-7932 or 432-6455 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Monday, Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Grile Administration Building, located at 1200 S. Clinton St. in Fort Wayne.  This blood drive is held in memory of Marion “ML” Ramsey.
- Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at St. Johns Lutheran Lake Township in the Fellowship Hall, located at 7914 W. Cook Road in Fort Wayne. Please call 489-5031 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
- Sunday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in the Fellowship Hall, located at 2120 S. Harrison St. in Fort Wayne. Please call 744-1450 to schedule your blood donation appointment.
Fort Wayne Donor Center located at 1212 E. California Road in Fort Wayne, (across from the Memorial Coliseum)
Traditional whole blood or double red cell donation:
- Monday and Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Wednesday and Thursday: noon – 6 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Platelet pheresis donation (call 1-800-589-8127 or 260-480-8299 to schedule a platelet donation):
- Monday: 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Tuesday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 6:30 a.m. – noon
- Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Lutheran Hospital Donor Center located at 7900 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 107 in Fort Wayne (in the South Lobby of Lutheran Hospital) Traditional whole blood or platelet pheresis donation (no platelet pheresis on Wednesdays):
- Monday through Wednesday: noon – 6 p.m.
- Thursday through Saturday: 6 a.m. – noon
How to Donate Blood
To schedule an appointment to donate please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.About the American Red Cross
The Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region serves northern and central Indiana and northwestern Ohio, and needs to collect about 500 units of blood a day to meet patient need in more than 60 hospitals. In addition to providing blood to our community, the American Red Cross also provides relief to victims of disaster, trains millions in lifesaving skills, serves as a communication link between U.S. military members and their families, and assists victims of international disasters or conflicts.
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