Get started on summer: donate blood

News release from the American Red Cross:

Get started on summer: donate blood
Need for blood doesn’t end when summer vacation begins

(May 2, 2013) – With summer around the corner, and the end of the school year in sight, new and eligible blood donors are urged to help strengthen the blood supply by volunteering to give in the next few weeks.

“While summer signals rest and relaxation for a lot of us, it’s also a time we can work together to ensure blood is there for hospital patients,” said Sharyn Whitman, CEO for the Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross.

Low blood supplies are typical from late May through September because regular donors and their families become busy with summer fun and may neglect to donate blood. At the same time, blood needs rise as increased roadway and travel-related accidents drain supplies—particularly during high travel weekends like Memorial Day. Someone seriously injured in an automobile accident, for instance, may need up to 40 units of blood for their emergency care.

Every day, patients across the U.S. need an average of 38,000 units of blood. And while that need doesn’t change with the season, the American Red Cross typically sees a dip in blood donations during the summer months. That dip, Red Cross officials say, is partly due to high school and college students being on summer break, and not giving through regularly scheduled school drives. About 20 percent of the blood supply is donated by high school and college students.

“The need for blood never takes a vacation,” said Whitman. “We’re asking all eligible donors—including students–to remember the countless adults and children in need of blood, and to make donating blood part of their summer activities.”

From May 28 to June 2 donors who give blood through the INDIANA-OHIO BLOOD SERVICES REGION of the American Red Cross will RECEIVE A COOLER TOTE BAG in celebration of Memorial Day.

 

UPCOMING AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES IN YOUR AREA:

• Thursday, May 16, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Summit Brands/ProProducts, located at 7201 Engle Road in Fort Wayne.
• Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at St. Michael Lutheran Church in the Family Life Center, located at 2131 Getz Road in Fort Wayne.
• Sunday, May 19, from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in the gymnasium, located at 14623 Bluffton Road in Yoder.
• Monday, May 20, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in the Fellowship Hall, 943 Powers St. in New Haven.
• Wednesday, May 22, from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Third Place in the gymnasium, located at 1601 W. Cedar Canyon Road in Huntertown.
• Thursday, May 23, from 2:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Hope United Methodist Church in the Community Room, located at 6608 Hoagland Road in Hoagland.
• Wednesday, May 29, from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. at Triple Crown Services, located at 2720 Dupont Commerce Court, Suite 200 in Fort Wayne. Come to donate and receive an insulated black Red Cross tote bag.
• Wednesday, May 29, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. at Tomkinson BMW, located at 929 Avenue of Autos in the 14/69 Auto Mall in Fort Wayne. Come to donate and receive an insulated black Red Cross tote bag.
• Thursday, May 30, from noon until 5 p.m. at Bethesda Lutheran Communities, located at 3948A New Vision Drive in Fort Wayne.

 

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: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Saturday: 8 a.m. – 1 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 a.m. – 2 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 *
• *2nd Thursday of the month: noon – 6 p.m.

 

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 Indiana and Ohio), 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 60 hospitals. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcrossblood.org.

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